RESIDENT DECRY OVER CONSTRUCTION OF ROAD WITH SEWAGE (GUTTER) IN GAMBIA

According to residents of Coastal Road living along the highway, “the road is being constructed without gutters”, leading to rainwater from the streets entering their compounds.

Drivers plying the road expressed mixed feelings about the lack of intersections to allow them to make turns. They say that in the event a driver wants to branch off, for instance, at Mariama Kunda junction from the Airport junction, they have to go all the way to Turntable to be able to turn and drive back to the said junction.

According to them, the lack of turning points could easily cause an accident because it would force drivers to over-speed the extra kilometer (s) to get to the turning point.

Simon Mendy, a resident of Coastal Road, described the construction of the road without gutters as “very bad”, saying: “The lack of gutters is forcing water to enter and stay in our compounds.”

Mr. Mendy highlighted that the stagnant waters in their compounds are not hygienic or healthy, saying it could result in the contraction of diseases.

He pointed out the over-speeding of drivers since they were allowed temporal access to use the road.

He advised drivers not to follow the smoothness of the road but to consider the lives of other road users and residents of the area.

Sulayman Nyassi, a driver who plies the road daily, says it is now easier for them to drive from Coastal Road to Turntable.

Their only challenge at the moment is the stones placed on the highway, which can cause accidents at night, he complained but expressed hope the stones would be taken off the road once construction is completed and the road officially opened.

Aminata Sillah, a student, says getting a vehicle in the area is most of the time challenging, which usually causes them to be late for school. “We do have money to pay transport fare but we find it very difficult to get vehicles,” she lamented.

She also said that most of the drivers plying the route usually refuse to carry commuters directly to the assigned destination, giving people the cause to pay double or multiple fares to get to their destinations.

Tamsir Manjang, a passenger, also decries the slow pace at which work on the road is being carried out.

SOURCE: The Point