By Bampia James Bundu
Indigenous transport owners’ association and owners of right hand drive vehicles say plans to ban all right-hand vehicles in Sierra Leone by September this years is "illegal” threatening to seek redress in the High Court of Sierra Leone.
At a press conference in the east of Freetown, National President of the transport owners, Alhaji Abu Bakarr Fofanah expressed disappointment at the decision.
“We totally condemn and vehemently remain opposed to this intention of the minister,” he said, and insisted that the sanction was illegal because the minister had failed to state the relevant provisions of the law prohibiting the use of right-hand drive vehicles in the country.
“This country is governed by laws which must be respected and upheld,” he thundered, adding that the transport minister also failed to seek cabinet consent and approval on the matter
Fofanah claimed that the intention of the minister was “against the president’s dream for Sierra Leone under the Agenda for Prosperity” adding that “In 2011 about 40% increment was made to customs duties on right-hand drive vehicles imported into Sierra Leone as penalty, with which we duly complied”.
General Secretary of Garage Owners, Francis Samboka called on government to extend the timeframe of the ban saying there were not enough garages to convert vehicles from right to left hand.
“It takes more than two weeks to change one manual car, and it is cost intensive,” he said, pointing out that most of the garages identified by the ministry for the transfer of right hand-drive vehicles were not standard garages.
“We don’t have the equipment to change automatic vehicles that have many electrical appliances. We still demand training and knowledge on how to operate some of these vehicles,” Samboka said.
The scribe also called on government to put a stop to the importation and licensing of all right-hand drive vehicles but appealed that those already in the country be allowed to wear out without much hiccups.
(C) Politico 22/07/14
