By Ragan M. Conteh
SLRSA (Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority) has been accused by commercial motorists of extortion on alarming scale. The motorists also known as ‘Okada’ riders complained of constant harassment few days ago by the Road Safety Corps attached SLRSA.
The riders alleged that the Road Safety Corps demand bribes from them, and failure to pay warrants arrest and charges. Sometimes, they allege, the motor cycles would be parked for a long time at SLRSA headquarters for lengthy periods if a stipulated sum of money is not paid.
The agency is also accused of violating effort to enhance service delivery. The allegations also watere down effort to meet global priorities as enshrined in the UN Decade Action, 2011-2012 which required greater commitment to road safety management.
Section 87 (6) of the Road Traffic Act 2007 states that Sierra Leone Police, SLRSA, and other key stakeholders should raise public awareness on their functions.
“Where a person is required under this section to produce a license or a certificate or any other document relevant to driving a motor vehicle or motor cycle, the person shall produce it immediately or within twenty-four hours of being so required,” the law reads.
Investigation mounted by this press indicates that the provision as enshrined in the Act has been violated.
Amidu Yela Kamara whose bike was taken to the SLRSA narrated a sad story. Kamara said he was asked to pay a bribe of Le500, 000 (Five Hundred Thousand Leones) although he presented all necessary documents.
He has walked into SLRSA to have his motor bike, but to no avail.
“I don’t have money to pay. I get livelihood through my motor bike riding. I pay school fees through bike riding,” he complained. ‘How can I pay Le 500,000 just to release my motor bike,” he asked.
He says even the fines levied on us is directly paid to the Wardens’ office and not to the banks. Public perceptions about SLRSA Wardens are key factors in determining the levels of corruption and therefore authorities concern should call on the officers to focus on rebranding the image of the institution and manage their behaviours and lifestyles.
A Traffic Warden was recently sentenced for ‘accepting bribe and soliciting advantage’ contrary to section 28(2) of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008.
Many bike riders have also accused traffic wardens of receiving bribes, owning and allowing unlicensed bikes to ply, bloated licence fees and as well as workers at the agents.
They are also accused of serving as agents for insurance companies. They said traffic wardens must resist and reject acts of bribery and other acts of corruption at all times.
Traffic wardens almost always demand “high fees” from drivers. Most times, according to one Mr. Kalokoh, traffic wardens issued tickets to them [drivers} without showing the specific traffic offence they had committed.
He told Nightwatch that many motor bikes and vehicles at specific locations in Freetown are clamped down or chained by traffic wardens for merely parking in places which the Road Safety Corps tagged as prohibited places.
These actions of traffic wardens to a large extent have been the source of an ensuing bad blood that is gradually developing into an all-out conflict.
Mohamed Jalloh, a rider plying Kissy Road daily said he had spent almost six years in the ‘Okada’ industry.
Few days ago, he went on, Jalloh parked his motor bike at Up-gun owing to a mechanical problem, He said the bike was arrested and taken to SLRSA and charged to pay Le 500,000 fine.
“I am completely surprised to see my motor bike clamped down by traffic wardens. This was not the routine. I didn’t really understand what was going on in my country called Sierra Leone,” Jalloh complained.
Before this time, he went on, they used to enjoy friendly relationship with the police and the traffic wardens but said the latest twists and turns in the traffic sector soured the relationship.
“If the situation is not addressed by the authorities, it will soon go out of control,” he explained in a bitter mood.
As acts of harassment of motor bike riders continue through the “unwarranted issuance” of tickets and fines, drivers have approached several authorities about the problem.
Meanwhile, SLRSA Public Relations Department told this press that the Le500,000 is a fine provided by law.
Despite the defence, SLRSA has been the most discredited institution by many who have been following recent developments in the sector.
The parking in prohibited places especially the Central Business District and other related offences were the main reasons motor cycles were clamped by SLRSA.