Sierra Leone: Police calls for Banning of Commercial Bike Riders

The Sierra Leone Police while presenting a paper and a video clip on the “lawlessness of bike riders in the city” to the Parliamentary oversight Committee on Internal Affairs, the Sierra Leone Police has called on the government to “ban Commercial Bike Riders in the city”.
They made this call on Wednesday at the Parliamentary Building in the Presence of the Permanent Secretary of Internal Affairs, Office of National Security, Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), Passenger Welfare Association, Drivers Union, Commercial Bike Riders Association, among others.

Presenting the paper, the Director of Traffic, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Johnson said “Commercial Bike Riders are regrettable feature in the city, nuisance and a menace because of their involvement in accidents”.
He noted that “the riders are over-speeding, no respect for traffic rules, no recognition of zebra crossing, non-use of helmet, involve in crime, among others”, thus continued to “exhibit lawlessness”.

The CSP said the most unfortunate part is they are now seeing “okada police” putting on uniforms and acting like a police officers which he described as “complete lawlessness,” affirming that these “okada police” go around boasting that “they are regulating themselves”.
He said the prevalence of bikes in the city has a lot of health problems; motor cycle injuries constitute a major but neglected emerging public health problem in Sierra Leone.

Meanwhile, Hon. Alhassan Kamara and other parliamentarian blame the police and SLRSA of inefficiency, stating that they are not implementing the laws, that is why lawlessness is on the increase among commercial drivers.
Though there was no conclusion as to whether the bikes should stop operation in the city, the Clerk of Parliament, Hon. Ibrahim Sesay said “they are throwing the lawlessness back to the police. The police are charged to control the city. If you are tied please tell us.”