As the standards of efficiency soar across sectors, digitalisation becomes paramount. Without a plan to adapt, sector players reluctant to leave outdated approaches and traditional methods, still stuck to old ways, are left far behind, later having to struggle for years to catch up in a tremendously fast-paced world that does not wait for anyone.
The world is in its most advanced stage ever perceived in the history of humanity, and there is no sign of it not lingering behind or slowing its pace at anytime or for anyone.
This is perhaps the realisation that struck the Gambia Transportation Service Company, the sole public transport service company in The Gambia, to move towards a more technological-inclined operation.
Established in 2013 as a private limited liability company, the semi-autonomous transport body is the sole public transport entity in The Gambia.
GTSC has the largest infrastructures in the transport sector, boasting of a fleet of 150 buses (29 to 56 passengers) and having depots across the length of The Gambia. It also employs a massive 700 staff.
From inception until recently, most of its services, although cheap and reliable, were not technologically backed but carried out manually, often wasting more time than necessary and hindering the travel experience for commuters.
However, time is now money, and wasting time is becoming more and more of a casualty for business entities. Queues for payment of fares, paper tickets, and other means used from time immemorial are becoming more and more unsustainable. Now calls for smart operations to adapt to changing circumstances.
To achieve its vision, which is to “become the market leader in the road and river transportation industry of the West African sub-region by meeting the travel needs and requirements of passengers” within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), GTSC needed to do so.
This prompted a series of moves that proved crucial. In an event held at the GTSC head office in Kanifing on June 19th, 2025, the company reached a strategic agreement with Wave, one of the leading, if not the leading, mobile money services in The Gambia, to digitalise to improve services.
The initiative empowers passengers to purchase GTSC bus tickets using the Wave mobile money app.
As GTSC’s traffic director, Amadou Drammeh states, it equally marks a major stride in the endeavour for digital evolution and changes the whole narrative about the public transport system in The Gambia.
The GTSC traffic division boss adds, “The integration of digital fare collection is a game-changer for public transport in The Gambia. It brings improved efficiency, greater transparency, and enhanced convenience. Together with Wave, we are determined to deliver smarter, safer, and more reliable transport services to the Gambian people.”
GTSC’s deputy general manager, Ba Lamin Darboe, expresses almost the same sentiment, highlighting how the move would transform public transport in The Gambia.
The Wave Gambia boss, Sainabou Sarr, describes it as a way of making transport smarter, faster, and more accessible for everyone.
“Our digital payment system,” she said, “would save time, eliminate cash-related friction, and bring us closer to a truly digital economy in The Gambia.”
Meanwhile, an agreement with just one of the mobile money giants seemed insufficient in this broad drive of shifting the paradigm in the entire public sector.
The GTSC is not adopting the new approach for its sake, as most institutions have over the years without any clear improvement in services. It strives for real impact.
As such, it also penned down an agreement last week with another mobile money giant, Yonna Wallet, a subsidiary of Yonna Microfinance, a household name in The Gambia microfinancial sector.
A commuter notes the speedy nature of service since the introduction of digital payment systems and e-ticketing in the company’s system.
“Things have become much more efficient compared to before. There’s no hassle, like we used to encounter,” he adds.
