Empty Streets as Commercial Drivers Embark on a Sit-Down Strike

The streets of Freetown are empty this morning as some commercial drivers have embarked on a sit-down strike action to protest against the hiking cost of fuel in the country.

The price of petroleum products in Sierra Leone has been increasing rapidly over the past months, and that has negatively impacted the businesses of commercial drivers.

Many Freetown residents wake up this morning without any means of transportation to take them to their various destinations. Some are forced to walk to their workplaces, business places and schools.

According to an audio making rounds on social media, some commercial bike riders are threatening to burn the bike of any of their member that comes out to work.

However, the president of the Commercial Bike Riders Association, Mohamed Nabieu said they are not aware of the sit-down strike action and called on their members to go out and offer services to the public.

“We don’t have any agreement with anybody to embark on a sit down strike action against the people of Sierra Leone,” he said.

He assured that bike riders will soon be plying the streets of Freetown, noting that the reason why there were no bikes plying in the morning was because of the heavy rain.

Nabieu further noted that the fuel crisis is a global crisis and it doesn’t have anything to do with the government.

This is the second sit-down strike action that has gripped Freetown this year, as there was a similar action orchestrated by commercial riders earlier in March.