The new fuel pump price has really affect all sectors in Sierra Leone. This ranges from transport, education, agriculture etc. This is as a result of the sectors making transportation a priority for them to strive. In relation to this new fuel inflation in the country from Le15,000.00 to Le18,000.00, Cllr. Amb. Unisa Totti Fofanah ha s Raised Concern Over the Exhubitant Increase of Public Transportation from Port Loko City to Freetown.

Among the shortest places to travel upcountry, Port Loko is one of them which takes about at most an hour and half to reach your destination. When the previous price was Le15,000.00 passengers were paying Le47,500 to Port Loko, now that an increment of Le3,000.00 on the pump price of fuel, the price has increased exhubitantly to Le57,000.00.

The councilor in his mind’s eye has seen it as part of a plan to exploit peaceful citizens and also add to their poverty index. On his dismay voice, councilor Totti said:

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“I write in relation to the above headline, and unbehalf of the people of Port Loko City to express dissatisfaction over the unfairly exorbitant increase of Public Transportation from Le 47,500 to 57,000. The addition of Le 10,500 over the Le 3,000 increase of the fuel is far beyond the expections of the people considering the distance from Port Loko City to Freetown.

As a Ward Councillor and Executive Director of a Community Development Organization (Bai Bureh Heritage Foundation) that serves as a voice for the voiceless, I am very keen and curious to know how the increase of Provincial Transport Fares are Determined by the Ministry of Transport and it’s sub entities especially the Motor Drivers Union and the Passengers Welfare Association.

Generally, our observation over the years has proved that the Passengers Welfare Association is not seeking the interest of the people neither representing the views of the masses as it name implies. I am yet to see any sub Committee members of the purported Passengers Welfare Association in any District neither at Regional Headquarters, but it leadership is always willing to apend their signature on Press Releases that doesn’t resonate with the general views of Passengers in Sierra Leone. If the Passengers Welfare Association cannot agitate unbehalf of the masses then there is no reason for it existence especially when it is claiming to represent the collective voice of Sierra Leoneans.

Honestly, I am not expecting the Drivers Union to seek the interest of the people but to seek their own interest as drivers when matters of Fuel and Transportation increase are discussed.It is really pathetic that public transportation cost especially provincial are highly determined at the expense of poor Sierra Leoneans all in the name of fuel increase.

It is crystal clear that Port Loko City is the closest to Freetown compared to other areas. To some extent, the distance of most bigger towns or cities to reach Freetown can be divided in to two or three times to match the distance from Port Loko City to Freetown.

To be candid enough, our people are suffering the most in any transportation increase in Sierra Leone considering the short distance with an exhubitant payment. The recent increase of the transportation cost is complete wickedness and heartless with intent to add more burden and suferation to our people. Why the Le 3,000 addition per litre is reflecting to more than Le 10,000 for every Passenger traveling from Port Loko City to Freetown. It is that the Authorities Concern couldn’t understand or they are deliberately ignoring the fact that we are the closest to Freetown. It is obvious that every increase of fuel is reflecting to the transport sector and every increase to the transport sector is reflecting to the market sector that is resulting to heavy increase in commodities.

Funnily, there is total lack of supervision from the transport authorities to the Drivers on the stipulated cost of transportation. We are suffering a round figure cost of transportation from the slated Le 57,000 to 60,000 from Port Loko City to Freetown. Drivers on their own side keeps complaining about the Police Toll Gate (Check Point) and the Chinese Toll Gate, that is why the concerned authorities in the transport sector should have the masses at the center of their decisions.

I am proud and confident to state that the recent increase in the fuel pump price and the transportation cost doesn’t relate to the peoples expections but a ploy to inflict more Poverty to the Citizenry of Sierra Leone. The triple increase of the transportation cost by the added amount (Le 3,000) per litre is a great suspicion that their is a syndicate among the Concerned Authorities in the Transport Sector at the disadvantage of the Passengers that directly affects the well-being of majority of our people not only in Port Loko City but the country as a whole.

It is on this background that I am publicly raising this concern unbehalf of the People of Port Loko City for the Attention of Government of Sierra Leone especially the Ministry of Transport, The Motor Drivers Union, The Passengers Welfare Association and other Concerned Authorities in the Sierra Leone Commercial Transport Sector. Moving forward, I am keenly and curiously interested to know how commercial transportation costs are determined for provincial level, because I am definitely not sure it is determined by the Fuel increase. Again, I am still woundering why a Le 3,000 addition per litre turns to over Le 10,000 increase for every Passenger traveling from Port Loko City to Freetown.

Lastly, I want to strongly Condemn the official slated cost by the Ministry of Trasport and Allie’s, and the round figure cost by the Drivers. We are urgently demanding for a review of the Transportation cost from Port Loko City to Freetown. Our lives begin to end the day we decided to become silence on the things that matters.”