Weeks after the landmark inauguration of the Unique Transport Service System (UTSCO) by President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, Daily Observer explored the impact of the company on the transport needs of the ordinary people. With a fleet of 31 buses, the company currently covers the busiest routes in urban Gambia, and some parts of the countryside.

Along the trans-Gambia highway, it covers as far as Kalaji in Foni, taking off from Brikama in the Western Region. As a matter of fact, Kalaji happens to be the border settlement separating Lower Region from Western Region. The ultimate goal of the transport company, accordingly, is to provide not only affordable but also easy and accessible transportation facilities for every  Gambian. The UTSCO is working ardently to reach the length and breadth of the country.

On departure from the depot at MSA in Kotu, the buses take to their routes, four vehicles running from West Field to Tabokoto; four running between Banjul and West Field; one between Brikama and the AU Junction, via Old Yundum. And on the northern bank, commuters between Barra and Amdalai, Farafenni and Wassu, all have access to a bus plying these routes.

In its efforts to ensure that it lives up to the aspirations of the Gambian leader, UTSC is keen on maintaining its position as the most affordable transport service provider in the country, with students having the most privileged treatment. Regardless of their destination, students, provided that they are in uniform, are required to pay only D5, and the buses would take them up to their school, no matter the distance. For students, there is in fact more to it than this; they can buy a month’s long bus pass for D180; and with this, any student can use UTCS buses as frequently as possible – 7 days a week.

With a hotline (7477888) available 24hrs round the clock, UTSC seeks to provide an additional privilege unheard of in many countries in the sub-region. Passengers are not only privileged to convey complaints, feedback or suggestions but, for the first time in the history of this country, stranded passengers can also call the attention of the authorities in case of the presence of a large number of people in an isolated area, who might want a bus sent for them. The idea is to provide standby buses for people who want the services of the buses outside their normal operational routes. And this is extended to those that would want to charter these buses -be they on journeys within or outside The Gambia.

However, for those wanting to hire UTSC buses for journeys within the country, they would only need to place at least 24hrs notice for the authorities; while those wanting to venture outside The Gambia only have to give 72 hours notice.
we produce extracts of what the people themselves say about UTSCO. Please, read on.

Transport difficulties faced by people, especially those in the Greater Banjul Area, became history since the inauguration of the new bus transport company called; Universal Transport Systems Company (UTSCO).

The Daily Observer went out and about from Banjul to Westfield, on to Brikama, to sound the opinion of the people on the impact of UTSCO on their lives. Below is an excerpt of the views of some passengers.

Adama Sarr: “We thank God for giving us such an opportunity.  We really welcome the UTSCO, as it is greatly helping us; the fact that transport fares are now reasonable.”

Madina Sowe: “I am very happy with this bus company because they have relieved us of the transport difficulties we used to face and their fares are very cheap.”

Abdou Ceesay: “The buses are here to ease our transport difficulties; I thank the government of the president for such an initiative, which is of great national interest.”

Isatou Jobarteh, a student at St Therese’s Upper Basis School: “I like joining the bus because it is fast, reliable and can easily take me home, unlike the other commercial vehicles.

With the UTSCO bus, I pay only D5, from my home in Latrikunda Sabiji to St. Therese’s; unlike owners of other vehicles, which charge between D6 and D7.
Patrick T Mendy, GNA personnel: “I will say a big thank you to the people of the bus company who provided this excellent transport service for us. These buses are here to ease our transport difficulties.  

We have been facing a lot of transport difficulties from the commercial vehicle drives (van drivers). Sometimes, they will charge you double fares, but since the establishment of this bus company, all the nonsense have stopped, because people are now using the UTSCO buses most of the times.

I think the management of the bus company should also make identification on the buses to show which one of them is going to Banjul, Westfield, Tabokoto and Brikama, for the benefit of its passengers’.

Essa Jatta, chief cook at the RVTH: “We are very happy with the establishment of this bus transport system.  The buses are fast, reliable and they charge reasonable fares. I thanked the government of the Gambia, under the leadership of President Jammeh, for such a good initiative.  I also want to thank the management of the UTSCO”.

Lamin Tamba, a bus conductor: “These buses are very good and they are here for the people; we, the conductors, are dealing directly with the passengers, but we are not facing any problem from them.”

Ismaila Nyassi, bus driver: “The buses are very good and they are helping the passengers.  I work from 6:00am to 9:00pm or beyond, depending on the traffic condition.  The only problem I faced is that the passengers don’t want to organise themselves when they are entering the bus.  

They should form a line and enter gently, to make work easier for us.”
Baboucarr Sallah, a bus driver: “I am very happy with the coming of these buses because they are really helping the people.  I thank the management and all those supporting the bus company for their efforts.”

Thousands of Gambians yesterday descended at Arch 22 in Banjul, amid a sporadic rainfall, where the 14th anniversary of the July 22 Revolution was commemorated in a grand style, with President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh announcing the creation of a state mining company by September, this year.

“By September, we [the government] will create a state mining company. We know how much it takes to [have] those equipment. We will [have] those equipment, mine our resources, sell it for the benefit of you and I and our children,” President Jammeh announced a colourful ceremony, also graced by the Senegalese prime minister, Cheikh Haguibou Soumaré and the Guinean prime minister Dr Ahmed Tidiane Souaré.

The president’s statement was in line with the his desire for Gambians to reap maximum benefit from their resources. According to Dr Jammeh, what is happening in some parts of the continent, where oil companies become richer than the country in which they operate will never happen in The Gambia.

Delivering a speech, the president said that when the discovery of oil in The Gambia was announced, a lot of such companies rushed in and made a proposal of 5 per cent benefit to the government for a period of 35 years, which he had flatly rejected simply because such deals are bad deals and tantamount to exploitation.

Commenting on the theme for this year’s celebration which is “Independence and National Pride”, Dr Jammeh said the two go together as one cannot be achieved in the absence of the other.

He stressed the need for Gambians to look inward and be independent for sustenance and meaningful development.

He wondered how Taiwan with a small area of arable land unlike The Gambia, can be food self-sufficient in rice production when The Gambia depends mostly on imports. He revealed that 89% of the country’s food consumption is imported, a phenomenon to which he attributed to the strange ailments surfacing gradually among the local populace.

International matters

President Jammeh decried the lack of fair treatment to African nations by the West who were developed by resources of Africans centuries ago.

He cited the donor conferences which pledged US$50 billion to only Afghanistan for a period of 10 years, and of which 10 billion [Dollars] has been delivered while only US$1 billion was  pledged to the whole of Africa, while the Western companies are making US$10 million out of Africa a day.

He added that the US$1 billion pledged to Africa comes with  conditionalities, such as the Peer Review Mechanism for Africa, which instigates hostility among neighbours and which he refused to subscribe to.

Dr Jammeh wondered why the International Criminal Court (ICC) is focusing on Africa, while heinous crimes are being perpetuated in the Middle East with the perpetrator going scot free. He labelled the invaders of Iraq as “war criminals” as the conflict tantamounts to a genocide, with heinous acts such as torture and execution taking place there.

Dr Jammeh also harped on the failed attempt by Britain and its allies in the UN Security Council to impose multilateral sanctions on Zimbabwe’s ruling elite as another testimony of the unfair treatment being meted out to Africa.

However, he praised China and Russia, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, for blocking the resolution based on the fact that the Zimbabwe issue is entirely an internal matter.

The Gambian leader however emphasised that he is not supporting African leaders who brutalise their compatriots, but was just speaking the truth.

Vindication

For Dr Jammeh, the failure of NEPAD has clearly vindicated him due to fact that he opposed the organisation since its inception because of the way it was conceived and what it stood for.

He recalled that some of his colleagues were not happy with his statement and buttressed the fact that he will never support any institution formed to strengthen and deepen the spirit of begging.

“I am not against any progressive African institution. If we, the African leaders, respect ourselves, all the nonsenses that are going on today would have stopped,” he stressed.

New buses

In a separate development, President Jammeh presided over the launch of the brand new air-conditioned  buses for the Unique Transport Systems Company (UTSCO) aimed at putting an end to the difficulties and unfair treatment being meted out to commuters by commercial transport drivers. The president also launched the maiden edition of the Gambia Armed Forces AHOOAH magazine.

At the event, the president, who is the commander-in-chief, also decorated a number of personalities with medals of honour, based on their association and service to the Gambia Armed Forces. They included the vice-president, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, Speaker Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay, SoS Musa Gibril Bala-Gaye and the chief of protocol, Alhaji Ousman Ceesay, Mustapha Njie, CEO Taf Holdings Ltd, Muhammed Sillah of Sankung Sillah & Sons and Abdul Aziz Titao Mendy, the development officer at the National Sports Council.

The event was also attended by other members of the Cabinet, members of the National Assembly, members of the Judiciary, diplomats and other dignitaries, school children and representatives of civil society organisations and groups .


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