By: Nyima Sillah
Dozens of Gambians based in European countries known as ‘Semesters’ on holidays in their home countries have accused police of denying them rights to acquire driving license despite submitting their applications, while they are not allow to drive with the possessed European driving license in the country.
Muhammed Sanneh who spoke on behalf of the group, said: “we are here on a holiday likewise the tourists so why can’t they allow us to drive with our licenses,” he asked rhetorically “while tourists are allowed to drive with their foreign licenses, in the country.”
He called on the authorities to do something about this issue.
He went on saying “we have been driving with our qualified licenses in Europe but GPF give us hard time here, Gambia, by rejecting our licenses and forced us to apply for fresh licenses before we could drive in our own country, which is undone.”
He added that If they are going to give privilege to the tourists than their own citizens then it means they valued tourists than them.
Meanwhile, Njie Jatta, said he has been driving in the Gambia for 7years before he traveled to Germany but when he came for holiday the traffic police asked him to renew his license or he won’t be allowed to drive.
“I followed the instructions and applied for a license but it took me two months before I could have my license,” he said.
He also urged the Gambia government to put regulations on license because if they should deny them of driving with foreign license then they should deny the tourists and ask them to go to Gambian driving school and learn Gambian traffic before giving them license.
Amie Saho expressed her disappointment on the GPF for giving hard time to their own citizens regarding access to license, adding that she came for just 2 weeks holiday but she cannot drive because she do not have access to her license.
