By Abdulai Fasineh Dumbuya
In order to address the transportation challenge in the urban area, through the Integrated Resilient Urban Mobility Project (IRUMP) the Minister of Transport and Aviation Retired Colonel Alhajie Fanday Turay has said that in three weeks’ time, 50 buses will arrive in Sierra Leone.
He made the disclosure whilst updating the media on the ministry’s activities at the weekly Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s Weekly Press Conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on the 24th October 2023.
The 50 buses are part of 50 Million U.S dollars World Bank grant plus 2million counterpart fund from the government of Sierra Leone which sums up to $52 million with a five year duration from 2019- 2024. The Minster said that the buses are a pilot project and that they aim to extend it to the provincial headquarters across the country.
Turay said the buses will be plying two corridors-the Western and the Eastern corridors, highlighting that the West corridor will start from Number 2 and stop at the Bus Station, and the Eastern corridor will start at Jui and stop at the Central Business District.
In terms of the running of those buses, the Minister said a company comprising the drivers’ union and Kekeh riders, who are willing to put their shares into the company, will be running those buses. He emphasized that when those buses start plying those corridors, some of the routes would be prioritized.
Asked whether some people will lose their jobs while running those buses, he said the drivers will not run their commercial transportation on those routes but said they are part of the company and therefore will enjoy the sharing of the benefits.
“Our traffic system will change and we will ensure some of the roads will be used only by those buses. Only the buses and the emergency vehicles will use those roads,” the Minister emphasized.
Highlighting the payment system, the Minster said there will be an introduction of cashless payment; and the public will be using a special card system whereby individuals will use the card to move from one corridor to the other, noting that there is provision for physically challenged people as well.
“For the time being, we are in the process of formulating the policy which we will take to parliament. And thereafter, we will make it known to the public and provide more media education and engagement on the entire process. We will include everybody, like some associations and agencies so that the public will have a full understanding of the whole thing,” he said.
The Minister assured the public that the buses are in good working condition and that there had been a thorough inspection of them.
He said President Julius Maada Bio is committed to addressing the public transportation issues.
Component one of the IRUMP deals with the modernization and organization of the public transport sector. Presently the Poda Podas, taxis, Kekes, the Okadas are disorganized They are called three-wheelers, and two-wheelers. With no insult to them, they are not very organized in the way they operate now so organizing them is component one through which the project is focused. Component 2 is a resilient investment which in essence is to do necessary corrections on the roads like the provision of sidewalks, improvement of drainage systems with slabs and railings, and pedestrian footbridges to enhance fast traveling and ensure the safety of pedestrians. The third component according to officials has to do with human and institutional capacity building of project actors like the drivers.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (25/10/23)
