By Saio Marrah
Commuters in the Western Area have called on the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, and its partners, for proper monitoring of the transportation system to ensure drivers comply with the new stipulated fares, following the increase in the price of fuel last week.
Government announced the new price for petrol, diesel, Kerosene and fuel oil on Thursday 9th June, 2022, which increased from Le15, 000 to Le18, 000 together with the new fares for the various destinations within the capital Freetown and to other parts of the country.
Mariatu Bangura, a trader selling fruit at Bottom Mango Wilberforce who said she resides at Jui informed Politico on Saturday that the official cost of transportation from Wilberforce to Jui was Le7, 000 but they are now paying up to Le10, 000 for that destination.
The single parent with three kids said she used to pay Le20, 000 to and from Jui, but now the situation has worsened so much that she does not know how she will cope with It anymore.
Commenting on the instruction by government for compliance to the stipulated transportation fare cost, she said: “This will never work. My advice to the Ministry of Transport and Drivers Union is for them to come together to monitor the process. If government has given a price that from this point to another is Le7, 000, Poda poda drivers will demand Le10, 000 and if you do not have it they will leave you and take other passengers that are willing to pay.”
Another commuter, Alfred Conteh, is a carpenter and works at PWD in central Freetown. He said he lives in Waterloo and explained how he had to sleep at his friends place on the day the new transport fares were announced.
Conteh says there should also be enforcement measures to ensure compliance by drivers to the new transport fares, and suggested that the central bank makes available coins to meet with the new fares which he said would help prevent confrontation between passengers and drivers over change.
He is concerned that with the increment in the price of fuel, prices on all other commodities within the country will go up. He said he is worried about the difficulties associated to the current situation, with a family to take care of.
According to a joint press release by the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PPA), Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and oil marketing companies, the new price was as a result of international factors that include cost of importation, shipping and premium.
Mini bus (Poda Poda) transport fare from Lumley to Regent Road increased from Le2,500 to Le3000, Jui to Lumley from Le 9,000 to Le11,800 , Grafton to Eastern Police from Le5,0000 to Le 6,000, whilst from Waterloo to Bombay Street from Le 5,500 to Le6,600.
Travelling from Freetown to Kabala was Le80, 000 but passengers will now have to pay Le 96,000, while from Freetown to Bo fare has increased from Le 62,500 to Le75, 000.
It is however interesting to note that passengers on the Waterloo to Bombay Street route have even been paying above the old price announced by the authorities in this latest fare arrangement.
For tricycle (Keke) and bike taxi (Okada), relatively normal short distances is Le 3,500.
The joint press statement by Transport and Aviation, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Motor Drivers and General Transport Workers’ Union and others warned defaulters by saying “ it is very important for all to note that any deviation from the proportionate fares set above be met by the full force of the law in Sierra Leone.”
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (13/06/22)
