AYV News, April 16, 2025
Incensed by the alarming number of road traffic accidents and intelligence about planned demonstration by Drivers, the National Security Coordinator (NS Coord) Abdulai Caulker, on Monday 14th April, 2025, engaged the leadership of the Motor Drivers Union, Tricycle (Kekeh) Riders and Motor Bike Riders Unions at the Office of National Security (ONS) Conference Room in Freetown. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Road Traffic concerns affecting the membership of the different unions and other critical national security issues, including the alarming number of fatal road accidents.
In his opening remarks as chairman of the meeting, Mr. Caulker reminded the meeting of the ONS and the security sectors’ concerns about happenings in every facet of society to maintain peace in the country, so every Sierra Leonean could go about their normal businesses without threats or fear; saying ONS believes in the engagement of aggrieved parties as a proactive measure to resolve issues and not until when things go out of hands or the issues escalate, leading to national unrest. “As we received disturbing messages of pending drivers’ strikes especially in Kambia Town, North-West Region, the ONS deemed it fit to engage with the respective leaderships of the different unions with a view to addressing issues affecting the respective union members, as strike actions have tendency to lead to loss of lives and properties, and could scare away investors”, the NS Coord said.
Present at the meeting were representatives of the executives of the Drivers Union including the regional heads, Secretary General and the President; Presidents of the Kekeh and Bike Riders Unions respectively, officials from the ONS, the Sierra Leone Police (the AIG, Freetown West, the Director of Traffic Operations), the Road Safety Corps and a cross section of members of the three unions.
In their different presentations, the three heads of the unions each expressed similar concerns about the high numbers of their members who are in detention for what they described as minor traffic offences such as faulty park lights, broken mirrors, overloading, numerous police checkpoints and patrol teams across the country-allegedly “harassing drivers along the roads.”
The Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Freetown West Region, Sylvester Koroma and the Director of Traffic Operations Commissioner police Abdul Morjueh expressed that some of the concerns raised by the leadership of the Unions are legitimate and the SLP will work with the Unions to resolve those within their domain. The AIG encouraged the heads of the mobility unions to also function within the rule of law. The Director of Road Safety and Enforcement, Sierra Leone Roads Safety Authority, Augustine Kaitungi, raised very salient points for the attention and action of the relevant stakeholders-such as the enforcement of the use of Manifests by all Drivers, registration of all imported motorbikes; reactivation of the Road Safety Management Committee to effectively educate road users, the establishment of Rest Shops for drivers along the highways and the introduction of Tongue Scrappers, in addition to the use of breathalyzers, among others.
In his response, the NS Coord said drivers/riders should understand the work of the police especially in trying to minimize the alarming number of road accidents across the country and their efforts in enhancing the traffic flow across the busy and congested cities across the country. The work of the police, Mr. Caulker said, should be lauded and appreciated in maintaining peace and national security. “Blaming the police will not help in addressing your concerns, instead, work with them to address issues of lawlessness such as overloading, reckless driving/riding and over speeding, among others, to avoid the loss of lives across the country as so many people are losing their lives on account of the irresponsible use of the roads,” Mr. Caulker said. He however promised to work with the police and other law enforcement agencies to look into the number of check points across the country and address cases of drivers/riders with minor offences who are already in detention.
Making his contributions, the president of the Drivers’ Union, Alpha Amadu Bah, commended the NS Coord for his proactive move in addressing drivers’ concerns which could have degenerated into strike actions with the tendency to destroy lives and properties, if neglected. The president of the Kekeh Riders Union, Ibrahim Serry and the president of the Bike Riders Union, Ishmael Sandi both expressed similar sentiments in lauding the efforts of the ONS and the security sector for their proactive move in foiling the planned trike actions based on first-hand intelligence they received. The leadership of the three unions promised to restrain their respective memberships from participating in any strike action that has the tendency to disturb the peace of this country.
The meeting ended with the resolutions that, effectively immediately, the Manifest system must be reintroduced and be monitored by the leadership of the Unions, supervised by the SLRSA and enforced by the SLP; reactivate the Road Safety Committee and include the ONS into the membership; the Union leaders to work with the SLP for further discussion on the possibility of releasing detained drivers whose offences are considered minor and that priority should be given to effective collaboration among the various stakeholders, going forward.
