[Sénégambie bridge series]: the bridge that changed the lives of carriers (2/3)
Audio 02:17
Painting of the Senegambia Bridge on the back of a truck parked in Farafenni (February 2020).
RFI / Romain Chanson
By: Romain Chanson Follow
6 min
Until Sunday, November 15, we are offering a series of reports dedicated to the Senegambia Bridge, which has been changing the lives of Gambians and Senegalese for a year.
After decades of waiting, the Senegambian bridge was open to individuals in January 2019. Then to trucks in July.
This bridge, built in Gambia over the river, is intended to open up the region of Casamance, in the south of Senegal.
And to increase trade throughout the sub-region.
For truck drivers used to crossing The Gambia, it is their professional life that has changed.
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Mosquitoes, heat, dust and boredom left their mark on the truck drivers forced to cross Farafenni.
Gory Ndour and Moctar Dia are waiting to cross the Senegalese border.
They have not forgotten the ordeal of the ferry: “
It was hard anyway, we could stop for two or three weeks.
But with the bridge now it's good.
"
The little money earned to ferry the goods was spent during the weeks waiting for the ferry,
explains Moctar Dia: “
The time left parked you will spend a lot to eat and you send the rest to your family.
"
The merchandise could also get damaged with wasted time.
Today the traffic is fluid.
This $ 90 million bridge financed by the African Development Bank aims to improve the Nouakchott-Dakar-Lagos road corridor.
On a smaller scale, this bridge is an opportunity to improve regional trade, says Yahya Jobe, general secretary of the Farafenni Transport Union: “
The traffic has increased significantly.
Take a walk around the city and you will see many trucks and cars passing through.
Trade has also seen a boost in the region.
When you order in Banjul, you will receive your package within hours.
From Senegal, the package can be delivered from one side of the river to the other.
"
Only downside, a fare deemed too expensive and calculated on the weight of the truck.
But the price is reasonable and the money collected benefits everyone, wants to convince Mod Ceesay, Permanent Secretary at the Gambian Ministry of Transport: "
It has nothing to do with what could have been a commercial price if the bridge had been built. under a public-private partnership.
I would add that the bridge requires fees around 10 million dollars per year for revenues of less than 3 million in 2019. If someone thinks that we are asking for too much money ... he has not understood anything.
"
Users do not realize that the Senegambian bridge is only one element of the Transgambia project, reports Mod Ceesay.
A road corridor still under construction which goes beyond the single crossing of the river and which costs millions of dollars.
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Gambia
Senegal
Transport
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