By Mabinty M. Kamara
Residents of Freetown have expressed dismay over the difficulties they encounter in accessing public transportations across Freetown especially with a 10pm curfew in place.
According to some residents during the two-week restriction of non-essential movement between Freetown and the rest of the country all commercial vehicles that ply those routes operated in Freetown which eased the transportation difficulties but that with the travel restrictions now lifted, the vehicles have returned to their normal routes making the situation challenging for residents in Freetown and its environs.
Khalil Kabba and his wife were among many commuters stranded at Ferry Junction in the east of Freetown at around 9pm on Monday 8th February. The animated couple and others were running here and there, pushing and fighting as they tried to board a mini- bus.
Khalil told Politico that they spent Le5, 000 each – more than twice the cost of a normal journey from East-end Police to Ferry junction in a tricycle and that it took them about an hour to cover the few miles due to the traffic congestion. “The more they (drivers) realize that curfew time is drawing closer, the more they become exploitative and you have no option but to pay up to avoid being embarrassed by the police,” he said.
Fatu Sesay was at the same spot at Ferry Junction and according to her, she walked all the way up to cline town from Sackville Street, a journey of about four miles hoping to catch a vehicle but when she got there, the tension she saw was more than what she had anticipated. She said she then continued to Ferry Junction where was now stuck because she couldn’t walk to Waterloo, her final destination located outside Freetown.
“It’s not because I cannot get the money to pay to come here but you will pay and still be late due to traffic and when you think about the curfew, you will not wait. But that is what they want for us in this country,” she said.
She added: “When the road was locked, it was better for us in Freetown because most buses including the government buses were running town service. So it was better but today, they have all gone back to the province which is why it’s this hard to go home.”
Police Media and Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Brima Kamara told Politico that the curfew compliance rate has not been bad. He acknowledged that a 100% compliance rate was impossible due to issues like transportation difficulties. He said the police personnel on ground are magnanimous enough to show some level of understanding in terms of either accompanying defaulters to pass the night at the stations or their homes depending on the situation and the men on the ground.
He said as far as he knows, no charges have been made based on a breach of curfew order because; according to him they have been able to manage the situation well.
Monday 8th February was the day the recent travel restrictions between the Western Area and other parts of the country were lifted, one of a series of measures to curtail the spread of COVID -19 in the country. The nation-wide 10pm -5am curfew remains in force.
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