By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
Finding measures to address complaints regarding the cost of the long distance Wakafine Buses, the Minister of Information and Civic Education Chernor Bah has on Monday 13 February 2024 at the Government press briefing organized by his Ministry revealed that the Government had been on discussions for another set of 50 Wakafine Buses for halfway passengers.
As the proposed Wakafine Buses primarily intended to address the cost issue raised by short distance passengers, the Information and Civic Education Ministry disclosed that the Buses would be running on short distances and the cost would be moderated to the normal 5 Leones
“Discussions now going on with the private partners to supply Government a certain number of buses with an ambition of 50 Mini Buses. Those Mini Buses would be branded Wakafine and would operate same as Wakafine. But they would be embarking on the short journeys such as from Lumley to Aberdeen from Aberdeen to Congo Cross, etc.,” Chernor Bah Information Minister stated.
The information minister disclosed relevant statistics relating to the operations and achievements of Wakafine Buses since the commencements of their operations. “52 percent of average passengers have used Wakafine Buses making a total number of 52,000 passengers from both the East and West corridor. 78 percent of the computers from the extreme East and West expressed that they are able to save 60 percent of their transport fare using Wakafine Buses. So only 22 percent that are complaining on the cost,” he detailed.
On the most asked question that has to do with the ownership of Wakafine, The Information and Civic Education Minister reaffirmed that the Wakafine Buses were owned by the Government but were not operated by the Government. He revealed that the company that operate Wakafine Buses is named Metro Transport Company that included Drivers Union, Keke Riders Union, and some others who equally owned shares.
The Ministry revealed that the intention of the Government was to resolve issues in the transportation sector and ensure to bring sanity in that sector. He reassured to adequately address the challenges in the transportation sector.
In his statement at the briefing, the General President of Motor Drivers and General Transport Workers Union Alpha Amadu Bah confirmed that the Ministry had equally requested them as stakeholders in the transport industry for an addition of 50 new buses. He confirmed that they had already gotten 22 Buses which would be registered at the Ministry.
The Drivers Union President confirmed that the Wakafine Buses had actually been doing excellently well in bridging the gap of transport and equally bringing unity in the sector. He lauded the management strategy put in place for the Wakafine Buses, as he assured long lasting of the Buses.
