Gambia News : 22 in court today as IGP Jammeh acts on reckless driving

Ebrima Jaw Manneh : A record 22 drivers will be arraigned before the municipal court at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) this morning charged with “dangerous driving”, according to the Deputy Commanding Officer of the Mobile Traffic Unit, Fadia Jarju.

Vehicles caught driving on footpaths reserved for pedestrians along Berthel Harding Highway (between Kotu and the Traffic Lights junction) were ordered to park by patrolling personnel of the Gambia Police Force, who were deployed to weed out bad drivers for prosecution.

Deputy OC Jarju told the Daily Observer that the drivers were all taken to the Serrekunda Mobile Traffic Unit where charges were slammed on them, before they were each issued with a court summon.
He confirmed that his men will be out on a daily basis to see to it that the roads are cleared of drivers who endanger life and traffic.

This development arose after the warning by the IGP, who was apparently alerted to the menace following an exclusive full-page pictorial on dangerous driving in the Daily Observer’s Roving Lens column of Wednesday, November 21.

IGP talks
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Observer, on Wednesday in his office at the Police Headquarters in Banjul, IGP Benedict Jammeh said reckless driving is a criminal offence which the police will never tolerate in the country.
He stressed that the highways are for the vehicles and not for people, and at the same time noted that the footpaths are for pedestrians and not for the vehicles.

“So it is an offence for a vehicle to leave the traffic queue in any circumstance and use the footpaths. The police are monitoring this situation closely and anyone found doing such, will be prosecuted according to law,” he warned.
He then confirmed that the police will employ “special people” to be taking photos of people involved in such reckless driving.

For IGP Jammeh, there is no exception in the crusade against reckless driving, except in case of emergency. “Even if a police officer is caught in such an act, let the people report it and we will put him or her before the law,” he vowed.
Police Commissioner Burama Dibba, who is the crime management coordinator, urged drivers to always abide by the traffic laws.

Commissioner Dibba noted that no driver has the right to leave the road and use the footpaths and urged people to cooperate with the police to remedy the situation.