AYV News, November 28, 2024 AYV
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Transport and Aviation, Alhaji Fanday Turay, has completed the transit terminal project at Lumley in Freetown, paving the way for the official opening of the facility by President Julius Maada Bio.
He started by commending the astute leadership of President Bio that focuses on delivery, which was able to lobby the World Bank to fund the $52 Million project to give a facelift to the transport sector including the provision of the ‘Waka Fine’ buses to ease the hassle of commuters.
Fanday Turay said the other component of the project includes the massive complex that is under construction which will house a lot of petty traders that display their wares on the pedestrian pathway, the street lights that will regulate the flow of traffic and the foot bridges among others.
He was elated to inform the gathering that most of the projects were implemented by Sierra Leoneans, and went further to lauding president Bio for pioneering the legal framework that establishes the Sierra Leone Public Transportation Agency (SLPTA) that is charged with the responsibility of regulating the informal transport sector which was hitherto unregulated.
The Minister of Transport and Aviation made it clear that it is wrong to criticize the government for the running of the ‘Waka Fine’ buses because it is operated by a private company called the Metro Transport Company with proprietors of tricycles, Poda Podas and private individuals owning shares in the company.
Fanday Turay reveals that a private company will be managing the transit terminal with proper security measures to be implemented to ensure the maintenance and protection of the facility.
He paid compliments to his predecessor Kabineh Kallon for sowing the seeds of the project which he was able to build upon, the World Bank team for funding the project and the dynamic and proactive staff at the Ministry of Transport and Aviation (including the deputy minister) for working together in ensuring the actualization of the project.
President Julius Maada Bio in his statement noted that the day marks a significant milestone in Sierra Leone`s journey towards a more efficient, inclusive and sustainable transport system, as according to him the commissioning of the transit transport terminal and the traffic signal system is a pivotal step in his commitment to boosting economic growth and enhancing public safety.
“It is also a giant step aimed at modernizing the country’s infrastructure and fostering socio-economic growth for the people as stated in the government’s big five agenda, it is also an achievement for the Government and World Bank funded Integrated and Resilience Urban Mobility Project (IRUMP) which was approved in June 2019,” he stated.
He underscored the fact that the decision of government on public transportation has a profound impact on the daily lives of citizens, because government is aware of the acute challenges posed by the inadequate transport system and poorly regulated traffic which have hindered economic growth, created congestion and caused preventable accidents.
President Bio acknowledges the fact that earlier this year he unveiled 50 high capacity buses which transport over 26000 commuters daily and 63% of the passengers are women.
He called on the Lumley residents to own and protect the facility because the facility is not owned by the Government; rather it is owned by the people of Sierra Leone.
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