Travelers (and commuters) plying the Banjul and Barra crossing are going through difficult times these days due to the breakdown of ferries plying this busy sea route.
This has not only disrupted services, but also serves as a nightmare for some intending travelers using that crossing point.
Kunta Kinteh has been out of services since last month, while the Kanilai Ferry on Friday 12 April 2024 experienced engine failure on near the turning buoy en route to the Barra Lander resulting in the Gambia Ferry Services withdrawing it from service for repair works with immediate effect.
Now, the withdrawal of the Kanilai Ferry and the maintenance of the Kunta Kinteh Ferry which has been ongoing since last month mean that there is no ferry service across the Banjul and Banjul route for now. This has forced many passengers to either use the boats or resort to using the South Bank Road and through the Transgambia.
This in turn makes life difficult for many in view of the current realities in the country.
In Monday's edition, we published that some travelers plying the route out of frustration have called on the management of The Gambia Ferry Services (GFS) to buy quality ferries that can stand the test of time and stop risking lives of travelers.
This call was indeed timely in view of the disturbing images at some point that is shared on social media.
A good number of people including some civil servants, students, women into small businesses, among a host of others, criss-cross this approximately 7 km stretch on daily basis. Since the breakdown of this ferries, some of these travelers arrived at their various destinations before beyond the stipulated time. It is high time for the government to urgently intervene and address this issue once and for all.
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On the other hand, a good number of tourists interested in nature discovery also use this crossing daily to historical sites and site attractions.
This makes this passage all the more important in the country's socio-economic development. In view of the millions it generates in revenue for the country, government should take this matter with utmost seriousness and urgency.
It is disturbing seeing some images being circulated on the social media regarding ferries full of passengers and these passengers being stranded in the middle of the sea crossing. This is not only worrying, but leaves much to be desired.
The passengers using this route deserve better transport facilities. To this end, we call on the Gambia Ferry Services (GFS) to act now and solve this nightmare for the people of Nuimi, Baddibu and the entire sub-region.
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