There are thousands of citizens who live on the other side of the River Gambia – that is to those who live in Baddibu, Lower Niumi and Jokadu districts – who depend on the ferries to come to Banjul and/or the Kombos.
In fact, thousands of these people cross to Banjul and the Kombos daily to work and back in the evening. This has been necessitated partly by the high cost of living and the exorbitant amounts charged for rent in the urban areas.
As a result of the above, many residents of Lower Niumi and Jokadu choose to stay at home, crossing to work in Banjul or the Kombos daily. This saves them house rent and of course renting a bowl had they stayed in the Kombos.
Another advantage they enjoy from staying at home is the fact that they will be able to spend more time with their families and take care of some other social activities while there.
To these people therefore, the ferry service is a lifeline as they entirely depend on it to go to work and back home daily. They get up very early in the morning and rush to catch the ferry and when they close they hurry home.
However, for the past few months, the ferry service has been nothing but a disaster. Passengers wait for hours for the ferry to come and then it will take an hour, sometimes two, for it to reach Banjul or Barra as the case may be.
This causes many people delay and a loss of money as a result. Many people express frustration over the fact that a simple trip to Banjul and back takes an entire day, wasting time that could have been utilized productively.
The Gambia Ferry Service must do better!
