School Children across the country are stranded due to the unavailability of school buses to convey them to their different schools since the reopening of Schools on Monday 6th January, 2020.
Reports from Kambia, Northern Sierra Leone like many others in the country have reported that the NGC led Kambia District Council is short of funds to procure fuel to have the school buses at that part of the country to play the routes to bring school children to school.
It is also believed that the problems for the school buses not plying the streets in Freetown and Waterloo could also be attributed to the constrains around the procurement of fuel and other spares which is the responsibility of the Local Councils.
Form inception the issue of getting the Local Councils to fund the management of these buses has been a very contentious issue. They have blamed Government for recruiting drivers and subsequently handing over the burden to the councils to pay these drivers, buy fuel, spares and other accessories.
Parents and school children spoken to today in various public transports and bus stops between Waterloo and Freetown have called on Government to intervene and ensure that the buses are back on the road by Monday.
The school bus service was introduced by President Bio at the start of this academic year to further support the Free, Quality Education but the management of these buses which has been squarely placed on the Local and District Councils has been a contentious issue and many believe it is not sustainable.
Many have called on Government to face the responsibility of running or managing these buses.