By Umaru Sitta Turay
The challenge drivers and pedestrians face in Sierra Leone is enormous, for to drive or walk in the country’s big towns and cities is a headache. From petty traders to commercial motorbike (Okada) and tricycle (Kekeh) riders, the roads are almost always chockablock.
There are also permanently-stationed vehicles and some unending construction work that have occupied a significant part of the street. Berwick Street and Clarence Street among others have become permanent garages, much to the discomfort of residents and drivers alike.
In Sierra Leone, the police arrest for all kinds of offences. Somewhat bizarrely, they do not issue tickets for traffic offences. Rather the road safety cops or wardens are the only ones who do that. Even they don’t issue such tickets often. Some of them rely on on-the-spot bribes to settle matters.
In fact these tickets can be challenged in court, although that hardly happens here. That is because when these tickets are issued, motorists are not properly briefed on its content and so cannot challenge them beyond the instant grumblings and insults.
The police and wardens arrest or issue ticket to motorists for offences which they have not been warned against and so are unaware of. There are very few “No Parking” signs in the country and they are mostly not conspicuous. Yet motorists are almost always cited for that offence.
Get around cities in Sierra Leone and try to look out for “speed limit” posts. It will be nearly impossible to find any. School zones are not given priority speed limits and there are very few with crossing guards. Consequently, children are exposed to traffic danger, always.
Zebra zones are not conspicuous and motorists are not properly sensitized about their importance. Some motorists do not even know the essence of a Zebra crossing and cannot interpret road signs. Most of the signs that exist are either covered by petty traders or graffiti. Hardly is anyone attentive to it let alone rectifying it.
Rampantly, both traders and landlords have occupied the footpath. Pathetically, this is not limited to Freetown but other cities in the provinces. The footpaths are nearly no longer in existence. That’s the reason it has become so difficult for pedestrians to walk around. It is even dangerous to be a pedestrian in Sierra Leone especially in Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Koidu. The discouraging part of it is that there is no effort to reverse the trend at which footpaths are being taken over by traders. Traders sell their commodities in the street center. They have the temerity to insist that it is their right to do so, when challenged.
The road construction companies are negligent towards the recommended road signs that are often included in their contracts. They will not complete their contract without complete road decorations and paintings. It includes the black and white paintings, streets names, directions and yellow reflector paints that are supposed to be by the roadside and in the middle of roads that are separated by bricks.
Many motorists are involved in violations today because of the lack of appropriate road signs. There are some places where road signs are located in hidden corners of the streets where police officers hide themselves to arrest lawbreaking motorists. That is because they know it is obvious someone will break the law. Unfair!
In some other countries, for example the United States, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) comprises an administrative court with the opportunity for motorists to challenge their alleged offences. It is arranged in a court format where alleged offenders can either conduct their cases or hire the services of a lawyer.
That can be better than the mainstream justice system as it is in Sierra Leone which is time-consuming, too punitive and opens up the possibility of bribery to the police and possibly the judiciary. It is for that reason that motorists prefer bribing the police and wardens than challenging the decisions when they are arrested. They know very well that challenging the decisions in court will cost them more than when they just pass on some money to the arresting officers.
There must be regulations that will protect commuters. There must be more laws that will make offenders appear less criminal than they currently do in many traffic offence cases. One of two things can be done: the government empowering the SLRSA with an administrative court that will be in charge of majority traffic offences, or the traffic courts being located in an SLRSA facility. That will make it easier and also allow motorists to access justice as early as possible.
It is long overdue for road signs to be clearly posted on the roads. It will prevent road accidents and unnecessary indictments of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. SLRA and SLRSA must step up!! There are too many accidents that can be averted with clear and conspicuous signs. It is only in this country where a road is constructed without road signs. These days the road signs are scribbled on corrugated drum tops most of which is not quite visible.
It is very advantageous to have road safety signs because they save life every second. If these signs are not clearly posted, many people will not live to see the other day. SLRA and SLRSA must be committed to saving lives more than giving a field day to the police and wardens. Communities, towns and cities in Sierra Leone have long been disadvantaged. Driving in Sierra Leone is so dangerous that one will be inclined to think that no sooner one hits the road than death awaits them on the street.
Led signs that have been very popular around the world are not used in Sierra Leone. Drive along the recently constructed roads at night and you will get yourself in a nasty accident or an even fatal one. When roads are constructed no one seems to be supervising and for that reason contractors have a field day. No one will raise concern for the correct thing to be done. Road signs save lives and must be considered as important. Wake up SLRA and SLRSA!
© 2019 Politico Online
