BY MOHAMED AMARA GANDO
Currently, public transport here is delivered through a mix of formal and informal transport modes. Formalized buses operated by a national operator, SLRTC, cater for less than 15% of public transport demand. So, as is the case in many West African cities, most collective journeys are achieved through informal public transport modes. In Freetown, the informal public transport network consists of a small number of privately-operated large buses (second hand imported vehicles), poda poda (minibuses), shared taxis (saloon cars), Okada (bike taxis), and Keke (three-wheeler taxis).
It’s crystal clear that the traffic congestion in the heart of Freetown hadn’t only increased the cost of transportation, but had also impacted negatively on the lives of people by slowing movement from one place to another.
The means of transportation within the City of Freetown either by motorbike (Okada), tricycle (Kekeh), taxi or Poda Poda is really expensive for the fact that drivers who are plying the streets of Freetown are in the habit of overcharging passengers as a result of the lack of proper regulatory institutions in the transport sector.
The informal transport network has developed organically over time, filling in gaps that have emerged with the public service operator’s gradual decline. As such, several key issues have arisen.
Keke and motorbike riders always using the traffic congestion as a field day or an opportunity to exploit passengers who are very urgent to fastly reach their final destinations, some schools of thought argued that if the transportation sector was well managed, there was no need to experience this kind of static traffic situation which had continued to slow down the economic movement or activities of citizens, as well as aliens in the country on a daily basis is not good to write home about.
In that regard, this writer encourages the Ministry of Transport and Aviation and other lined institutions to apply any available technology or any other suitable method to reduce the prevailing traffic jam or congestion, especially at the Central Business District (CBD) where traffic wahala normally slow down economic activities of people, thereby multiplying the level of poverty among the working population in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leoneans are going through a lot right now, after the increase in fuel pop price from Le 10,000 to Le 12,000 per liter.
This increase has caused more suffering in the lives of Sierra Leoneans across the country; one may argue that the increase of gas in the country is because of the increase of gas across the globe, we know Sierra Leone does not produce oil. But the question is. Does the Government of Sierra Leone have monitorial tools to monitor the transportation sector?
I don’t think so…because, since the incensement of the pop price, we have seen the way it has negatively impacted the lives of Sierra Leone. Let’s talk about the minimum wages of Sierra Leoneans, the minimum salary wage for workers in Sierra Leone is Le 600,000 and the increase in gas will definitely create more hardship for the people. The government needs to be considerate; the government needs to reconsider the salary scale of citizens.
A few days ago, in connection with the increment, part of the list of categories of transportation fares announced by the Ministry of Transport and Aviation shows that Wellington to Eastern Police is adjusted from one thousand eight hundred Leones (1,800) to two Leones (Le 2,000) something that drivers are not pleased with it greatly affects the livelihood of the citizens.
Commuters plying Jui to Wilberforce or Lumley routes are dissatisfied over the way transportation fares are illegally being raised by the drivers and conductors. Though the government has the price to four thousand five hundred Leones (Le 4,500) drivers have opted to increase the fares to seven thousand (Le 7,000).Everybody appreciates the fact that when motorists pay more for fuel, the transport fare increases. This has been the case even when the increase is only marginal. In the particular case where the cost of fuel is expected to double, the increase in transport fares will be astronomical. This will in turn affect everything else, the hike of basic commodities in the market, house rent, just name it. The government needs to establish a plan for the development of high-quality public transport in Freetown; more especially when the majority are suffering.
