By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
As part of the implementation of the Sierra Leone Integrated and Resilient Urban Mobility Project (SLIRUMP), the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC) has been transformed from a Public Transport Operator to a Public Transport Regulator.
The transformation was confirmed after President Julius Maada Bio gave his assent to the Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority Act 2023 into law.
The new role of the Authority is to regulate public transport, as well as issue route licenses with service delivery contracts for improved public transport service delivery along specific routes.
The development objectives of the Integrated and Resilient Urban Mobility Project (IRUMP) for Sierra Leone are to improve quality public transport, address climate resilience, improve road safety in selected areas, and enhance institutional capacity in the transport sector.
The project has five components-Modernization and Professionalization of Public Transport Services, including informal private operators, financing the enhancement of public transport services in the Western Area, with a focus on Maximizing Finance for Development (MFD) in the sector.
The second component is the Strategic Resilient Mobility Investments which aims to finance physical investments to improve access, climate resilience, and road safety. The resettlement cost identified in the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) under this component will be financed by the International Development Association (IDA).
Component three of the project deals with Building Human Capital and Institutional Capacity which aims to finance knowledge development and institutional and academic capacity-building activities.
The fourth component of IRUMP is what is referred to as Project Management, which also aims to finance goods and services to support project management, financial auditing, data collection, Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E), and operating cost.
The fifth and final component of IRUMP is the Contingent Emergency Response Component which will enable the rapid reallocation of funding among project components following an emergency.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (07/06/23)
