By Mahmoud Kamara
The Ministry of Transport and Aviation has received 50 brand new buses at the Queen Elizabeth 11 Quay as part of the implementation of the World Bank funded project, the Sierra Leone Integrated & Resilient Urban Mobility Project (SLIRUMP).
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.
As one of the social service providers to drive the national agenda towards a resilient and sustainable transport sector in the country, the central government has provided various supports and reforms to the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC) to ameliorate its challenges.
As part of the implementation of the Sierra Leone Integrated and Resilient Urban Mobility Project (SLIRUMP), the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC) is to be transformed from a Public Transport Operator to a Public Transport Regulatory known as the Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority (SLPTA).
The new role of the Authority will include, among others, to regulate public transport in the country with the aim of providing quality service to citizens.
This will be done primarily through issuing route licenses with service delivery contracts on a commercial basis among other functions while the Metro Transport Company own by the Keke and Bike Rider’s Union,Motor Driver’s Union,Pawel will be operating the buses within a specific routes along the two corridors in Freetown.
