Commuters on the Banjul Highway will observe an open gutter by the road at the Westfield Cooperative Junction. The gutter is wide and just by the side of the road. It has been in that state for some time now and it certainly endangers the lives and properties of citizens who frequent the area.
Some time ago, a taxi was seen hanging in there; as the driver had been reversing in order to turn around comfortably but fell inside accidentally when the brakes failed. The back wheels slipped and it fell from behind.
On Monday last, a private vehicle also had the misfortune of dropping inside there. It must have been quite a task to pull out the occupants from both of these cars. There is likelihood that other drivers may one day suffer the same fate if nothing is done to rectify the anomaly.
What is unfathomable is why the gutter has not been covered to prevent people and vehicles from accidentally falling in that wide deathtrap. As is the wont of people of this country, nothing will be said or done about it until lives are lost and then there will be a rush to resolve the problem.
The only fortunate thing here is that this is the dry season but when the rains come and there is a flood whereby one will not be able to see where the gutter begins and ends, people are likely to fall inside there. If it happens to be a child, such a child may even die.
It is the responsibility of a government to protect the lives and properties of its citizens and should therefore not do anything that can cause harm to the people. In fact, if someone loses their life or property in that hole, it becomes a legal issue.
The Kanifing Municipal Council will do well to look into this problem with immediate effect and find a way of making sure that no lives and/or properties will be lost there in the future.
