By Nasratu Kargbo
Commuters plying the various routes in Freetown and its environs have voiced their frustration over the deplorable state of transportation they have to face on a daily basis. Politico went around seeking the experiences of people in different parts of the Western Area on just how they get on with the transportation problem.
A trader Mohamed Kamara expressed frustration with regards the struggle he has to go through on a daily basis to access transportation to and from his business place. “Transportation is the biggest crisis in Freetown”, he said. He explained at the jam-packed Wilberforce Junction during Monday 14 February evening rush hour that before now, he used the PZ-Waterloo route to go home, where he had to walk from Charlotte Street to Cline Town looking for a bus, struggle a lot to get one and getting stuck in traffic. According to Kamara, this was the reason he changed route, opting instead to use Congo Cross to Jui which is much better in terms of the flow of traffic, but said the hassle remains the same.
A university student Haja Umu Sesay said the Driver’s Union has a lot to do, stating that the parks are flooded with gangsters who collect monies from citizens in order for them to get quick access to transportation. She added that the queues are no longer useful, because “these gangsters create chaos which makes it useless to form a queue”. Sesay said the union members are normally there but do nothing to salvage the situation.
Mohamed Bah another commuter explained that the transportation problem is a big issue in the country, and accused the government of turning a “blind eye” on the issue.
He said the government can make a huge revenue out of transportation by investing in it. He said purchasing buses that can be stationed in strategic positions in the Capital, will be a profitable investment.
Bah advised that the government upon investing should ensure to purchase buses with parts that are available. He added that the private sector has done its bit and it is time for the government to help the citizens.
National President for Motor Drivers and General Transport Workers Union Alpha Amadu Bah told Politico that the union has been working very hard to get rid of these boys in the different parks. He explained that some of the boys have been arrested and sent to jail for a week or two and soon return on release.
He said this habit is notorious, explaining that these boys are in every park in the Freetown Municipality “it’s too much, this is a burning issue”. Bah added that they as a union have done their best but do not have the mandate to arrest them.
Speaking on ways to curb this menace, the President said the duty should be given to the law enforcers with the power to arrest and charge to court. He recommended that the law enforcers should make the boys stay for a longer time. “If they are sent for six months or one year, I’m sure when they come out they will not return to these parks”, he said.
When asked about measures put in place to mitigate the halfway challenge with drivers, the President said they have done so much in that regard. He explained that he cannot say that they have totally eradicated that problem, but much of that is not seen; adding that they now have marshals monitoring the drivers.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (16/02/22)
