By Mabinty M. Kamara
People residing in the east end of Freetown have reacted with mix feelings to a recently launched operation by the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), dubbed: ‘Operation Restore Order’.
The Operation, according to the SLP, is aimed at ensuring that drivers of commercial motor vehicles plying the east end of the city to Waterloo take passengers to their actual destinations. It followed widespread complaints by commuters of exploitation by commercial transport drivers.
But the move by the police have attracted mix feelings from the public who are mostly concern about the sustainability of the operation. According to some of these critics, some police officers are the reason for their suffering.
Madiana Kabba travels from Eastern Police to Wellington daily. She told Politico that in as much as she was happy that there is order, she was concerned about the sustainability of it. She said from day one there were already signs of this.
“This is a good thing that they have started, but my problem is continuation,” she said.
Kabba recalled in the past when they stood on the queue and it was effective, until all went bad again.
“If you came here you would meet people in line waiting for vehicles to Old Road and New Road and it was very effective, because Police and Drivers union men were here. But as time went by, they stood here and watched vehicles loaded half-ways and passed them without any action,” she explained.
Unisa Kargbo, another commuter at Brima Lane, Old Road, could only hope that the police continue enforcing the order.
“The police have some good ones among them, just as they have bad ones. And the bad ones have actually been the cause of this entire transport problem that we have been having because they harass drivers too much for money. But since they are the once that have started this operation, we only hope that they will not start collecting money from the drivers and then divert this good intention that has saved us from the hands of thieves who are always with us as we fight to enter vehicle,” he said.
Like Kargbo and many other commuters, Amara Idrissa blames the police for the chaotic situation in the local transport system which has caused difficulties for the masses. Idrissa said the government too must be blamed.
“Where are the government buses that we should use as an alternative? What do you expect of a business man whose aim is to maximize profit at all cost? The drivers are just doing what they should do as business people, but if we have alternatives, they will be the ones running behind us and not the reverse as it is now” he said.
Mohamed Kamara, an apprentice on a Poda Poda, blames their action of taking “half way” on the Police who asked them to book at strategic locations every day.
“You want the truth? Most of the traffic police you see have Osusu that they contribute to and that money comes from us. For us that ply Waterloo, we start booking from Up Gun to Jui and they have reduced the number of passengers and the price to Le2, 500. We have to buy fuel. So if you take nine passengers in my case from here to Waterloo with consideration of traffic, how much will I make a day,” he asked rhetorically.
He went on: “They are just doing this because they have powers, which we don’t have, but if they want us to do the right thing, they should first stop harassing us”.
The Police Media and Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Brima Kamara, said the Police were determined to continue with the operation for its intended purpose. He told Politico that the move was centered on the need to fulfill the obligation of the Police to the people of Sierra Leone and to mitigate and forestall the unnecessary sufferings passengers would have to undergo in the hands of ‘wicked and insensitive drivers’.
Superintendent Kamara denied allegation of police harassment as cause of what the drivers are doing, noting that booking is not in any way part of police work and he encouraged anyone that has proof of such practices by the police to bring it up.
“This issue of booking I keep hearing it. I am speaking honestly, but I have not witnessed a situation wherein somebody go somewhere and say I have come here to book. Maybe it’s because I am always in the office. You know they always find excuses, but if they think they have been booking and that is why they have been going half ways, then we are now saying don’t book. Booking is not part of policing. We are going to enforce this law whether they have been booking or not,” he said.
The operation is being implemented in collaboration with the Office of National Security (ONS), The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), and the Sierra Leone Motor Drivers Union.
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