Business Owners Lament Banjul/Barra Ferry Crossing Problems

Photo: Johe Ferry (Photo Credit Culled From Facebook)

By Ousman A Marong

The business owners plying between Banjul and Barra ferry crossing points have lamented about the problems of the two terminals amid COVID-19 Pandemic.

They have described the two crossing points as a death trap, complaining that the two sides have now become a nightmare to many of them who frequently travel the places.

Speaking to News-Bite Gambia, one of the river users, Muntaha Joof, lamented about the hardship experienced in traveling the Banjul/Barra ferry crossing points every week from Mayamba in Niumi.

Ndey Cham, a businesswoman, said she lacks words to describe the hardship experienced in crossing the river.

“We (the river users) are now subjected to untold hardship, as if we have committed a sin for being citizens of The Gambia, and coming from this part of the country. We only know when we are leaving and cannot determine when to reach out to our destinations. If you are traveling by the river you are always going with a broken heart because of the rudeness coming from these young boat owners. They always charge for double fee prices and driving the boats with recklessness,” said Ndey Cham.

Another regular user of the two anchoring places, Ousman Mboob,

corroborated Ndey’s experience.

“Travelling along the Banjul/Barra crossing points with a boat is not a good experience at all. It is a nightmare coupled with its attendant consequences. If there is an alternative, one will not travel through these river crossing points. We are expecting the worse simply because the ferries will stop working on the 10^th of this month and the only means of transportation for us would be the boats,” Ousman Mboob said.

Mboob said they have received information that The Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) would stop the ferry services to commence work on the new landing sides, adding that the landers are already in town from Holland.

“It is always costly for us because boat owners charge each person per D50 and the one carrying you into the boats too charged for an extra price of D10. We are begging on the Gambia Navy to do all they could in order to make sure that boat owners do not charge for double price anytime soon the ferries stop working,” he concluded.