February 12, 2021
By: Mohamed Kargbo
Mr. Kabineh Kallon, the Minister of Transport and Aviation has told journalists that the Government of Sierra Leone and the World Bank through his Ministry has supported the Sierra Leone Integrated and Resilient Urban Mobility Project (SLIRUMP) with over 50USD.
He made this disclosure on the 11th February, 2021 at the weekly Press Briefing of the Ministry of Information and Communications, 8th Floor, Youyi Building, Freetown.
“The Government of Sierra Leone and the World Bank through the Ministry of Transport and Aviation inaugurated the Sierra Leone Integrated and Resilient Urban Mobility Project in July 2019” and today’s pronouncement is symbolic as it ushers a new era for enhanced service delivery in Public Transportation system.”
The Minister disclosed as a counterpart funding project World Bank is contributing $50m grant whilst the Government of Sierra Leone is contributing 2million dollars.
“The objective of the project is to improve on quality public transport systems, addressing climate resilience, enhancing road safety and building capacity of key stakeholders in the transport sector,” he said.
He expressed delight over the transitioning of the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation from an operator to a regulator as Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority.
He further said that, the Government of Sierra Leone intends to separate public transport regulatory functions from the operational functions, by regulating functions from the operational functions, transforming the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC) which is currently serving as a public transport operator into a public transport regulatory authority.
He noted that this transition will greatly improve on the transport service delivery by bringing public transport functions into a single, well managed, and focused institutional structure.
He disclosed that, the new Authority’s role will include: developing a public transport policy, conducting, regulating, management and compliance functions; developing and managing performance-based service delivery contracts, conducting studies, knowledge management and monitoring the performance of licensed transport service providers.
The Minister added that, the Authority will support the transition of SLRTC from an informal self-regulated public transport system to a transport sector operating with functioning contractual arrangements to deliver services at specified standards.
He continued by saying, his Ministry is committed to this process and looks forward to fruitful engagements with other sectors including the media.
He noted that, the Ministry vision is to transform the city from a congested, vehicle oriented city, to a resilient people-oriented city.
Mr. Isaac Ken Green , the General Manager of the Sierra Leone Road Transport Authority said, Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority (SLPTA) is being set up to function as a professional management agency to act on behalf of the Ministry of Transport and Aviation as the regulator and procurer of public transport services.
He noted that, it will help create a commercial, competitive environment for provision of services by separating operational regulatory responsibilities.
“This is necessary to ensure that all service providers are subjected to the same conditions and constraints and to establish arms-length regulatory and contractual relationships with operators” he emphasis.
The General Manager pointed out that, the SLRTC Act 1964 is no longer fit for purpose because it both operates and regulates.
He further said SLRTC had only been exercising the former never the later.
He lamented that, the Sierra Leone Integrated and Resilient Urban Mobility Project is welcoming news for SLRTC and that the project is going to take that operating authority from SLRTC and create a mandate exclusively to regulate public transport in the urban cities. Because giving us the mandate to operate and regulate at the same time does not create a level playing field.
He further that it will create conflict of interest because you cannot be the player and the referee at the same time.
He was optimistic that this will form an enabling environment whereby all informal operators will be supported, trained and brought together to operate like SLRTC and organize institutions.
Mr. Isaac also said that, the immediate task of the Authority will be to support migration from the current informal self-regulated public transport activities to functioning in a contractual environment, where the business model will require the operator Associations to enter a contractual agreement with the Authority to deliver specified services for a specified period to specified standards of delivery.
He maintained that, extensive discussions are being done with a wide range of stakeholders such as private operator unions, civic society, citizen welfare groups and residents.
He added that the reforms are focused on the West and East Corridors-Lumley-Main Motor Road-Central Bus Station and Central Bus Station-Kissy Road-Jui Junction respectively.
The Minister disclosed that support will be provided to participating operators and private investors by financing bus renewal scheme, road improvements, passengers waiting shelters, traffic management and bus priority measures.
He noted that, the reforms will gradually be replicated to other parts of the city and the whole country.
According to Mr. Hindolo Shaika, Director of the Sierra Leone Integrated and Resilient Urban Mobility Project (SLIRUMP), “this project will bring back dignity to the passengers and that sign post and traffic lights will be installed again.”
