The Ministry of Transport and Aviation, in collaboration with the Motor Drivers Union and key stakeholders in the transport sector, has announced a 12.5 percent reduction in public transportation fares across the Freetown Municipality and provincial routes, effective Tuesday, 30th June 2026.

The fare adjustments follow the government’s recent approval of reduced fuel pump prices, with petrol now selling at NLe33 per litre and diesel at NLe35 per litre—a decrease of NLe2 and NLe5 respectively from previous rates.

Under the new fare structure for the Freetown Municipality, commuters on the Lumley to Regent Road route will now pay NLe6.1, down from NLe7. The Waterloo to Bombay Street route has been reduced from NLe16.8 to NLe14.7, while the Waterloo to Tokeh route drops from NLe35.1 to NLe30.7.

Other notable reductions include the Wilberforce to Jui route, now NLe13.5 (previously NLe15.4), and the Jui to Lumley route, which falls from NLe22.5 to NLe19.7. The Regent to Bus Station route has been adjusted from NLe9.8 to NLe8.6.

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For long-distance travel, fares have also been significantly reduced. The Freetown to Kailahun route now costs NLe307.1, down from NLe351, while the Freetown to Kono route drops to NLe233.5 from NLe266.8. Passengers travelling to Kabala will now pay NLe196.5 (previously NLe224.6), and the Freetown to Kenema fare has been reduced to NLe184.3 from NLe210.6.

The Freetown to Bo route is now NLe159.7 (down from NLe182.5), while routes to Kambia, Makeni, and Port Loko have all been adjusted to NLe147.4 from NLe168.5.

The fare adjustments also extend to inter-district routes. In Kenema District, the Kailahun route now costs NLe147.4, Jendema NLe227.2, and Segbema NLe92.1. In Bo District, the Gbambatoke route has been reduced to NLe110.6, while Makeni to Kabala now costs NLe159.7.

For commercial motorcycle (Okada) and tricycle (Kekeh) operators, the “pole to pole” fare has been reduced from NLe7 to NLe6.1.

The Ministry has warned that any deviation from the proportionate fares set above will be met with the full force of the law. The new fares were agreed upon following consultations between the Ministry, the Motor Drivers and General Transport Workers Union, the Bike Riders Union, the Sierra Leone Commercial Tricycle Union, the Passenger Welfare Association, and the Poda Poda and Bus Owners Association.

The agreement was signed by Hon. Rex Bhonapha, Deputy Minister of Transport and Aviation; Isaac Ken-Green, General Manager of SLPTA; Ibrahim Sam, President of the Motor Drivers and General Transport Workers Union; and other key transport sector representatives.

The reduction in transport fares comes after weeks of mounting public pressure for price cuts following the sharp decline in global crude oil prices, with civil society and the Sierra Leone Labour Congress calling for adjustments to reflect international market trends. The government has indicated it will continue to monitor fuel prices and review pump prices as necessary.