The Banjul to Barra ferry: what the record shows

Who runs the crossing

Gambia Ferry Services operates the Banjul to Barra crossing on the River Gambia. The Point described the operator as the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) Ferry Services in 2014 ¹. In January 2023 a GPA media officer, writing in The Point, reported on a new ferry tariff and quoted the Director of Commercial Services, Rohey Njie-Deen ².

The National Assembly's Public Enterprises Committee reviews the ferry company's audited accounts. In July 2026 it said the Gambia Ports Authority had provided funds to cover the company's operating deficits ⁷.

Fares

The most recent full fare table this site found was announced by the GPA Ferry Services in December 2014. It took effect on 1 January 2015 ¹. Status: historical. The fares have changed since.

• A new tariff for passengers and all cargo, including saloon vehicles but not trucks, took effect on 1 February 2023 ².
• The GPA officer's report said the previous increases were in 2015 for passengers and 2018 for vehicles. It did not give the new rates ².
• This site did not find the 2023 rates on an official page. Ask at the terminal before you buy a ticket.

The ferries in service

In August 2025 The Point, as reported by Adama Jallow, quoted the Ferry Services public relations officer. He said the Kunta Kinteh and the Kanilai were operating. The Kunta Kinteh was under close watch after a technical assessment by a Dutch expert ³.

The Point, as reported by Ismaila Sonko, said on 16 March 2026 that a new hybrid ferry built by Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands had arrived. It said the ferry is 88 metres long and 17 metres wide and was funded by the African Development Bank through the Banjul port expansion project. The report gave two capacity figures, up to 2,000 passengers, and 1,000 passengers with space for 80 vehicles ⁴.

On 23 March 2026 President Adama Barrow commissioned the ferry, named Barra, at Barra. The Point, as reported by Momodou Jawo, gave its cost as US$12 million from an African Development Bank grant ⁵. Status: in service from March 2026.

What travel advice says

• UK advice, updated 7 July 2026, says the ferry is operating but often overcrowded and overloaded. It suggests the Senegambia Bridge near Farafenni as an alternative route ⁸.
• US advice, last updated 11 December 2018, calls water transport, including government ferries, unsafe and unreliable. It says ferries are often overcrowded and may lack enough life preservers, and advises leaving your vehicle quickly after parking ⁹.
• French advice, dated 4 April 2018, says the ferry crosses each way every hour from 7.30 to 22.00 and that delays and changes without notice are frequent ¹⁰.

Findings by the National Assembly

In March 2024 the Public Enterprises Committee tabled a report on state-owned enterprises. The Point, as reported by Jankey Ceesay, said the report showed the ferry company's turnover falling from D393.5 million in 2018 to D200.2 million in 2020. Auditors found no evidence of follow-up to recover loans owed by former staff ⁶.

On 30 June 2026 the committee tabled a consolidated report. Foroyaa, as reported by Kebba A.F. Touray, said auditors found a liability of D1,202,028,000 to the Gambia Ports Authority with no written agreement behind it. The committee asked for a formal agreement by the end of July 2026 ⁷. The report did not carry a response from the company ⁷.