Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
As a way to ensure road safety compliance, the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), has teamed up with the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), putting in place a number of measures and regulations in pursuit of restoring ‘’sanity’’ on roads.
The SLP made this statement in a press release dated 17th August 20223. The press release noted that vehicle and garage owners must not ‘’abandon’’ or ‘’park’’ along roads, adding they must remove all those vehicles, tricycles, and motorcycles currently abandoned on those roads.
The SLP also said that vehicles should not be left unattended on any of the roads in Freetown and the provinces for more than an hour, stressing that they will ensure compliance.
Vehicles plying the Hill Side Bye Pass Road should not park along the said road, the release reads.
It also mentioned the wearing of helmets by commercial motorbike riders and their pillions, and that defaulters will be arrested and prosecuted.
As a way to prevent traffic, the SLP said in its press release that motorists, bike, and tricycle riders are not allowed to park on any of the major junctions “leading to and from Waterloo and the provinces, except that he or she is to drop or pick up a passenger(s) or a pillion,” the release goes on.
The SLP however noted that the restriction placed on commercial bike riders from plying the Central Business District is maintained and still in force.
As of 2022, there were 9,623 road crashes across the country according to
figures given by the Manager of Research and Development at the SLRSA
Ambrose Tucker.
Recently the SLP raised concern over the spate of road crashes in the country as a result of reckless driving. It is against this backdrop that the SLP in collaboration with t SLRSA came out with a press statement informing motorists, bike and tricycle riders that they will be conducting joint exercises to curb the rate of road crashes in the country.
Copyright (2023) Politico (25/08/23)
