By Mabinty M. Kamara
Plans are underway to increase transportation fares, despite an already difficult experience for Freetown’s commuters, Politico has learnt.
We understand that an engagement with major players in the public transportation sector, including the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the drivers’ union and the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), ended on Tuesday with calls for the review of transportation fares for particularly vehicles plying the Freetown-Waterloo route.
Increment in transport fares was just one of many sweeping reforms some stakeholders called for in the meeting, which was convened as part of efforts to alleviate the challenges commuters go through in trying to access public transport.
Abubakarr Dumbuya, Public Relations Officer of SLRSA, told Politico that the Commercial Vehicles Owners Association noted in the meeting that vehicles plying from the corridors of Waterloo to the city center in Freetown were running at a loss when compared to their counterparts running from the corridors of Jui to Lumley in the west end of the city.
“The transport owners said the fare from Waterloo to Bombay is too small, while from Jui to Lumley, which is 21 kilometers, it cost Le5, 000, whereas from waterloo to Bombay, which is 29 kilometers, is Le2, 500. That is what they said is causing the half ways. So it’s the Minister (of Transport and Aviation) that has the power to adjust the transport fare, which is why he has called a meeting to discuss the issue,” he said.
This meeting Dumbuya mentioned is scheduled for today, Friday September 11.
Dropping commuters half way through their destination has been a major challenge for most inhabitants of Freetown, especially during rush hours. This, according to the drivers, has been so because of the many illegal commitments they have with the police, among other issues.
Alimamy Kalokoh, a commercial driver who runs between Bombay and Waterloo, told Politico that the issue of halfway is a combination of so many factors that one cannot be addressed without the other.
“This transport business that we do is a very difficult one. Some of us are just here because we don’t have many options. People blame us for taking halfway or adding the fares because they don’t understand our plight. We have to buy fuel, we have to pay to the master lorry. We have to book to the Police. We have to change cash, since we are to take Le2,500, which I think is very unfair when you compare it to those running from Lumley to Jui for Le5000,” he said.
Momodu Bangura also runs along the same route as Kalokoh. He said the distance from Waterloo to Bombay Street is too far for the fare being charged, noting that they also have to pay the toll gate fare.
“We also have to pay at the toll gate in addition to other expenses that we have to deal with, and the police are not helping it at all. Sometimes we find it difficult to even pay our masters, because there are times you meet hectic traffic,” he said.
Aminata Karim, a commuter, said one can only be saved from commercial transport hurdles when you get your personal vehicle.
“Even if they increase the fare to Le5, 000, we will still suffer because they will not be satisfied. To go to Waterloo in the evening I sometimes spend about Le10, 000 or even more. They will call for Up Gun in front of a police officer, even when the destination is boldly written for Waterloo. But nothing happens. So to me, price increment does not make sense,” she said, adding: “Go to Lumley and Wilberforce in the evening and see how people suffer there to go to Jui.
“For me the fare is not the problem, I just think that we don’t have enough so we dance to their tunes,” she added.
Among the issues discussed at the Tuesday meeting, according to a news dispatch from SLRSA, were the review of the Road Traffic fines, for the Ministry of Works and Public Assets - to review the toll gate charges for public service vehicles plying the Freetown-Waterloo corridors, for the Sierra Leone Road Transport Cooperation to make available buses to ply along the Freetown-Waterloo corridor prior to their departure to the provinces, and for the Sierra Leone Police to reduce traffic checkpoints along the corridor of the Freetown-Waterloo highway.
At the end of the meeting, a committee was formed to follow up on the recommendations proffered to ensure that they were met. The committee is expected to start its work tomorrow with the scheduled meeting with the ministers of Transport and Works.
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