The Government of Sierra Leone has revealed that that the 50 new buses willl on 2 February 2024 start operation in Freetown.
This is according to a post shared on social media by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education.
“50 New Buses start operation In Freetown on February 2nd. A component of the #SierraLeone Integrated and Resilient Urban Mobility Project (SL- IRUMP), a $50 million Sierra Leone Government Project that is supported by a grant from the @WorldBank,” the post reads.
These buses will deliver efficient, quality public transport services within the two corridors in Freetown .
It could be recalled that, the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Transport and Aviation in 2019 secured a $50 million grant from the World Bank with the Government of Sierra Leone complementing the grant with an additional $2 million in co-financing for a total of (52) Fifty-two million dollar to enhance access to public transportation system in Freetown.
The Project overall vision is to transform the city of Freetown from a congested vehicle-oriented city to a resilient mass transit of people within the city.
The objective of the project is geared towards providing accessible,quality public transport systems, addressing climate resilience, enhancing road safety and capacity building of key stakeholders .
In an exclusive interview with the Information Officer of the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, the Communications Specialist of the Sierra Leone Integrated and Resilient Urban Mobility Project (SLIRUMP) Batu Shamel said that the project will deliver a coordinated and modernized Public Transport interventions across selected corridors with visible deliverables among others such as the procurement of 50 brand new buses,construction of new markets and transport transit terminal at Lumley, adding that roads improvement works across the corridors at Lumley, Wilberforce, Congo Cross, Aberdeen Road, Murray Town, Ferry junction intersections are either completed or at an advanced stage of completion to ensure the free flow of traffic across these corridors.
“Phase 1 will construct four (4) pedestrian overpasses at selected locations in Freetown, two at the East-end of Freetown, shell and Jui and two at the West- end of Freetown, Wilberforce and Lumley,” Batu Shamel explained.
