Sudden death is always tragically painful especially when it involves small children. Children are the future of any society or country, therefore everything should be done to shield and protect them from harm and danger. The loss of even one life is one too many, especially if it is that of a child.
In the past week alone, there have been two reports of loss of lives of children due to road accidents. The first one was said to be in Bansang where a vehicle of some soldiers hit and killed a young child on the road. The second one, said to have happened in Bonto, involved a GTSC bus which hit and killed a six-year-old boy.
Two things stand out in these two incidents. One, at what speed were these drivers travelling inside these villages? Were they within the specified speed limits for driving through residential areas? Or, were they over speeding as is often the case nowadays? Inquiries into these incidents must establish this.
The other issue that stands out has to do with small children crossing the road without an older person escorting them. The parents of children at such ages should be vigilant enough to make sure that their children are not exposed to danger by crossing a road alone.
It is sad that in many settlements in this country, one can always observe young children either playing on the road or crisscrossing the road at all times. This is very dangerous and every parent must keep in mind the safety of their children. It is the responsibility of parents to care for their children such that they will not be involved in anything that might cause them harm.
The National Roads Authority (NRA) did some excellent work in some villages where speed bumps were constructed so that drivers will be compelled to reduce their speed when they come to a settlement. It is not clear whether Bansang and Bonto have these speed bumps.
It is high time the Gambia Police Force in collaboration with the National Roads Authority put mechanisms in place to save the lives of people on the roads, especially children.
