Our Character Represents Us In Traffic- Alagie Barrow

 

    

By Sheriff Saidykhan

    

Alagie Saidy-Barrow, former TRRC Investigator  said  the character of commuters and drivers in the highways, has thus contributed to the growing nightmares in the traffic. 

“Having left Banjul I finally made it into Serrekunda, and came face to face with my biggest nightmares, traffic! 

If anyone wanted to study Gambians without the need to talk to us, they should simply observe our behaviours,” he said. 

Speaking to West Coast Radio popular Coffee Time show on Tuesday, Alagie Saidy Barrow said the way we conduct ourselves in the  traffic "mirrows our behaviour towards one another". 

He continued: “Let me start with the reason why I have to go deeper into Banjul. I got to McCarty square, and I was informed by a police officer that the road was closed off. 

It was the same road I took into Banjul, and I spent lest than an hour I Banjul. The time was 13 minutes after 4pm. And people were getting to go home from work

Our government officials, with no regard for citizens have no issues closing the roads off. And they do not care to inform the citizens," he argued. 

The dictatorship mindset of most security officials he said, is still prevalent in the country.

“In Gambia it is okay to make people suffer. So long as the President can drive through to his destination.  They will tell you is for security reason. Because their excuse arouses the security officers to do anything they wanted. 

Our people will rather employ a short cut and closed off the road completely. In their mind they have very little to worry once they banned people from driving in the road,” said Alagie Saidy Barrow.

He said such disregard of behaviour has contributed negatively to the management of the national football team.

“With zero disregard for the citizens whom they represent to find out who was selected for the national team, from the Confederation of African Football. Our people who represent us do not care about how we think,” he said.

He said most government vehicles with tinted glasses have total disregard for traffic laws.

“Once in the traffic you will notice government vehicles all over the place. Most of them have tinted windows, and you will not see the important person in the vehicle. Even though they claim to be working for us. I doubt anyone disobeys traffic rules more than Gambia government officials,” he said.

He added: “In Traffic you will also see vehicles with no license. Sometimes these are vehicles that belong to security agents. They too can disobey all traffics laws and no one will hold them to account.

In Traffic you will also see that some of us are not kind to one another. Some are rude and inconsiderate, reckless and others think the road belong to them. Some are not discipline and others don’t know how to drive.

As people who called themselves good Muslims and Christians families, you will think we will be kind to one another, you will think we will be tolerate to one another and you will think we will be considerate to one another, you think we will respect other communities and you will think we will be gratefully to one another. But join me if you will see all of these impressions in the traffic,”.