Sierra Leone Government Announces Strict Traffic Restrictions on Public Transport Corridors

In a bid to ease traffic congestion and improve public safety, the Sierra Leone Ministry of Transport and Aviation has announced new restrictions on the use of the public corridors in the capital city.

Effective Monday, January 29th, 2024, several vehicle types will be prohibited from accessing the designated corridors during peak hours.

According to the public notice, the affected time period is from 6 am to 10 am, during which the public corridors will be off-limits for pushcarts (Omorlankay), Okadas, Kekeh, heavy goods vehicles, and public transport vehicles. The restriction, however, does not apply to operators with licenses from the Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority (SLPTA) during the specified hours.

The Ministry emphasized that loading and off-loading activities will only be permitted between 10 pm and 5 am. Violators of these regulations will face the consequence of having their vehicles towed at their own expense.

The designated public transport corridors impacted by these new regulations include the West Corridor encompassing Lumley through Wilkinson Road, Main Motor Road, Sanders Street, Siaka Steven Street, Gluster Street, Wallace Johnson Street, Percival Street. The East Corridor includes Calabar Town through Bai-Bureh Road, Kissy Road, Sani Abacha Street, Wilberforce Street, Rawdon Street, Siaka Steven Street, respectively.

These measures are aimed at enhancing the efficiency and smooth flow of traffic within the public corridors, ensuring a safer and more organized transport environment for both commuters and licensed operators.