Inspect our bridges now!
There is growing public frustration and anger directed at our local Engineers in the wake of the Savage Street Bridge collapse. People are now saying that numerous bridges across town are in bad shape. They name the following structures at Tengbeh Town, Krootown road, Old Railway Line, Aberdeen road as the most deplorable and in dire need of repairs.
In October of 2018 then Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) boss Panda Noah was widely reported to have warned about the deplorable condition of the Savage Street Bridge which eventually collapsed last Thursday. Noah had referred to the structure as a death -trap. Shockingly, no effort was made to send engineers from government departments responsible for that, to even inspect the bridge not to talk of making efforts to repair it! Gauging public reaction since Thursday, there is profound resentment directed against our government engineers. People are asking why they only have to come in when the damage has been done.
The people want to know what these men and women paid from taxpayers’ coffers are really doing to justify their relevance in those offices. Civil Engineering is an unfamiliar territory for us but we think generally, responsible engineers will do periodical checks on a bridge to see if there has not been a high level of stress exerted on it as a result of heavy traffic. The Deck or bridge floor which holds the traffic flow is assessed; the Beams and Girders that take on the load by supporting the deck are all thoroughly examined to gauge their available strength. We are not seeing this happening here anyway. We are now appealing to those in charge to begin the process of really examining the structures and making the necessary recommendations for their repairs. We won’t’ be surprised to see a re-arrangement in the hierarchy structure at certain government departments sooner rather than later.
SLRSA must use Tow Trucks for Vehicle Breakdown
Vehicles breaking down along our roads especially in Freetown has become quite a big problem for both motorists and commuters alike. Many vehicle owners and their drivers lack the sense of maintenance and would wait until things get worse before they would seek the services of a motor mechanic. A significant number of breakdowns happen on very busy roads in the capital, impeding the movement of commuters. Our roads are narrow and some of these faulty stationary vehicles will be parked there for hours, creating all sorts of embarrassment for people going about their daily business. In such a situation, we are particularly concerned that the disruption to traffic flow as a result of many breakdowns is hardly addressed by SLRSA in a way as would have been expected of them. Our roads have turned into makeshift garages, an act which in itself is quite uncivil.
The Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) has to take the lead in addressing the problem. The Authority should be available to provide immediate solution to this by acquiring Tow Trucks that are strictly designated for vehicles breaking down inner city. They can show up at the scene of a vehicle breakdown with their tow truck and winch-off the vehicle to a garage, for which a compulsory fee the vehicle owner must pay to the Authority. SLRSA with its traffic corps personnel can enforce compliance to prevent the rather lawless behavior of having mechanics work on the vehicles right there by the road. The tow trucks presently with the Authority are only used for vehicles parked along prohibited areas. If SLRSA can acquire lands in various parts of the Western Area including part of the Freetown Teachers College property at Jui to keep vehicles impounded for illicit parking, then why not get more tow trucks to remove these vehicles breaking down all over the place and affecting normal traffic flow!
People want the curfew lifted
We are known for giving factual and correct information about the views of the common man in Sierra Leone. Skewing stories for self -satisfaction has no place within our establishment and so when we say this is what the people think, then trust us. The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed caused a lot of havoc to countries around the world. Sierra Leone has suffered a lot from the effects of this virus. Our economy is almost strangulated with very limited commercial activities, coupled with the unbearable state of many citizens that have lost their jobs or forced into shoestring budgeting, all because of corona. We have to proudly say we have not got the colossal death toll that many other countries experienced. Relatively, our Frontline workers in the fight against the pandemic have done a remarkable job.
Now, people are beginning to ask that the government lifts the curfew so a bit of normality could return with the opening of businesses full time, especially in the hospitality industry. The call has become more frequent in recent days. South Africa has the most depressing statistics on COVID-19 infection on the continent, but the government has decided that life must go on. Last Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the easing of some measures that would by October 1, see the re-opening of his country’s borders and an increase in the number of people gathering in public. It is up to our health experts to advise Principal on what is best for us all, but we are just letting the authorities know what the views of the people are on especially the curfew.
Girls Topping NPSE is good news
Proud parents of six girls would be grinning from ear to ear after results of the recent National Primary School Examination (NPSE) show that they were among the ten best students in the entire country. We have to applaud the girls, their parents and teachers for contributing one way or the other to the girls’ success. The girl-child in Sierra Leone has played catch-up to the boy in so many areas including education, so we need to acknowledge the efforts of these girls indeed.We also congratulate the four boys too and all the other kids who made it through to Secondary School education. We hope Principal’s administration will continue to maintain the level of premium it so attaches to education. These our young minds are the best hope for a future progressive Sierra Leone. We need to nurture them well.
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