What The People Say About Fare Increase
Residents of the Greater Banjul Area were last Monday struck with the news that transport fares have been increased to an alarming rate of 33%. The fare from Brikama to Serrekunda was pegged at D5.00; Tabokoto to West Field, Latrikunda to West Field at D3.00, West Field to Banjul, Serrekunda to Banjul at 4.00,Serrekunda to Bakau 3.00 and Bakau to Banjul at 4.00. After receiving this information, News Watch went round and about in Serrekunda, Banjul and the Tabokoto end to hear from taxi drivers, passengers and security officer. Abdurahman Jallow:
This civil servant said if the fares are increased, the government should also increase the transport allowances of its workers. "If not," he said, "We are not going to come to work any day we do not have money to come." Isatou Ndow: This teacher laments, "Every day I have to pay nothing less than D16.00 to travel from Brikama to Banjul. For me, to increase the fare from Brikama to Serrekunda is understandable due to the poor state of the road and of course many diversions that the vehicles have to take. However, I will not forgive anyone who increases the fares from Serrekunda to Banjul because the roads are excellent."
Police Officer (Name Withheld): - "Well for us we can do very little about this. It has affected all of us, but one should not only blame the taxi drivers alone, but the government for failing to create the conducive atmosphere." Babu Ceesay (Taxi Driver): - "You see it is high time the passengers and the taxi drivers understand each other. It is not our desire to increase the fares but due to constant increase of fuel and the poor state of the roads, we are obliged to do so." Yama Gaye (Passenger): - "For poor people like me, fare increase is like killing ourselves. If life is not easy for any human being, then it is better to die.
I do not blame anybody but our very own government." Mariama Cessay (Vendor) Serrekunda: - "It is the GPTC who engineered all this fare increase. They are an organ of the government whose main purpose is not to make profit alone, but to alleviate the suffering of the Gambian masses by providing cheap and easy way to travel to the length and breadth of the country." Hoja Ndow (A Nurse): -" Well for me I depend on my little salary to feed my family and to pay their fees. Therefore, the increase of the fare will only make matters worse fore me." Jainaba Cessay, Tabokoto: - "I will resign from my work if my boss does not increase my transport fare. For me I will not work for purpose of working only to suffer and be penniless at the end of the day."
Lamin Darboe (an Accountant): - "If the government does not want its workers to be corrupt, let them increase the transport allowances. How can one feed his family from this meagre salary and spend D15.00 everyday on fares." Abba Ndow (Civil Servants): - "You see my brother, it is only we, the low income earners that are going to suffer. The top officials are having their Pajeros. Therefore, they would not mind who is suffering. Let us stop blaming the taxi drivers. They are out to do business and the essence of every business is to make profit. We have seen the increase of fuel prices and again the increase of GPTC bus fares. To be frank, lets only point fingers at our own government."