By Precious D. Freeman & Laurina B Lormia (Cub-Reporter)
The Liberia National Police and the Federation of the Motorcycle and Tricycle Union of Liberia have signed a memorandum of understanding geared towards enhancing public safety.
Addressing the press yesterday at the Liberia National Police headquarters in Monrovia, the Deputy Inspector General for Operation, Nelson Freeman said the LNP has embarked on a safety campaign trying to ensure that there is a safety culture within Liberia.
According to him, it is the motorcyclists now and the next time will be truck union and other stakeholders that are affected by their work, therefore, he added that they intend to give awareness so that a truck driver on the road will know the importance of putting on signal lights when bending a curve.
He also mentioned that there will be awareness that will guide the school-going kids in how to make use of the crosswalks and the meaning of the traffic light.
“Some of our students do not know the meaning of those lights, such as the red, orange and yellow. Even most of people don’t know the use of it,” he said.
He emphasized that LNP have tried to get the names of ‘No Go Zone’ places for all motorcyclists and tricycles especially in the restricted areas in Monrovia.
“We have strongly agreed to make the road from Freeport and Central Monrovia and all part of town restricted areas for motorcycles,” he said.
He maintained that they have strongly agreed to consider from ELWA Junction through the Tubman Boulevard and the rest of Monrovia restricted areas for motorcyclists.
“The Kekeh will be allowed to move from Freeport, Clara Town, and Vai Town corridors, they will not be allowed to use the main bridge, but they will use waterside and have access to Monrovia except the Broad and Carey Street and go back to town and even cross up to maternity centre and go down the UN Drive,” he explained.
The Deputy Inspector General for Operation emphasized that this MOU also speaks to the penalties for violators noting, “The violators from the tricycles will pay L$4,000 while the motorcyclists will pay L$2,000.”
However, dozens of motorcyclists earlier expressed dissatisfaction over the Police Inspector General’s decision on restrictions for motorbikes across the main streets in Monrovia, and called on the government to withdraw their decision.
On Thursday April 12, IG Coleman stated that, from May 15, all motorcyclists and tricyclists will be restricted from entering the city and main streets in Monrovia.
The decision is part of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the cyclists wherein the Police is extensively coordinating with the Federation of Motorcycle and Tricycle Union to ensure a cordial and sustainable solution to hazards posed by cyclists on the main streets.
On Tuesday April 23, dozens of motorcyclists told the Inquirer Newspaper that, they want the LNP to withdraw their decision on restricting motorbikes from main streets in Monrovia.
“This is our daily hustle, through this bike riding some of us are able to pay our school fees, pay our house rent, and provide daily bread to sustain our respective families; if the government restricts our movement, it would imposed additional hardship on us,” the stated.
According to Henry Peters, the police’s decision on restricting motorbikes will not affect bike riders only, but will hugely affect citizens who commute via commercial bikes in the morning hours when there are hardly cars or to avoid traffic jam, especially on Mondays to reach their various job sites and destinations in time.
“We are uncountable bike riders out here today who went to school and even graduated from universities and because there are no jobs in the country, we had no other option, but to ride bikes to provide food and other basic needs just so our families can survive; we are also paying taxes to the government, so they should see the need to consider us to ride our bikes,” he advocated.
Mohammed Sheriff said “The international community should know that the government wants to suffer the youth; there are no jobs in the country; we are employees for ourselves and some of us have people we are sponsoring in the university through riding motorbikes, so we are asking the LNP to consider us to ride our bikes freely.”
Meanwhile, Daniel Zayzay said, he is in favor of the police’s decision to remove motorcyclists from the main streets because, in other countries, you can hardly see bikes in the capital cities on the main streets adding, “By the LNP telling us where to run is not a bad thing, it is also for our own safety.”
“In Liberia, when the government want us, the citizens, to go through the rightful procedure, we will always say the government is not good, how will things get better when there are no rules and order in the country? Before any law be taken seriously or stands in this country, there must be a harsh decision taken towards citizens, so I’m urging all the bike riders the please abide by the LNP decision,” Zayzay pleaded.
