By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
On the 28th March 2022, there were incidents of chaos and unrest in some parts of Freetown as commercial transportation owners/drivers (including vehicles and bike riders) staged a sit down strike. The reason for the strike is due to the hoarding of fuel by fuel station owners and the corresponding increase in fuel prices.
A-Z interviewed owners of commercial vehicles and most of them expressed dissatisfaction in the fuel price increase and the hoarding of fuel by fuel attendants.
The desperate bike riders and Poda Poda drivers accused fuel station owners of selling fuel to the black market sellers at high prices on instead of selling the products to them.
According to them the increase in fuel was done without the consultation of the drivers’ union and different unions respectively.
Youth were seen setting tires ablaze and putting up makeshift roadblocks around the Cline town axis, kissy PWD, waterloo and other areas across the country.
In a viral video making the rounds on social media, it could be seen where commercial riders decided to play a football match at the make shift road blocks.
The head of bike riders association at the Cline town said the strike is intended to draw the presidents attention at the frustrated increase in fuel prices, police brutality and harassment, and hoarding of fuel by fuel attendants.
He urged the government to come to terms with the union and see them as important vessels in the society.
The Police commissioner at the Ross Road Division Mr. Dennis Taylor during the early hours of the strike pleaded with the riders to strike peacefully rather than causing mayhem and unrest to innocent fellow citizen who are not partakers of the strike.
He pleaded with them to be at peace and vent their anger through the right channel.
He said the hoarding of fuel by fuel attendants isn’t true as he said he was at different fuel station till late ensuring the smooth selling of fuel, but the bike riders refuted this claim and said that when the police are no longer at the place that’s the time fuel attendants will stop selling and hoard the fuel.
Some eyewitness spoke to A-Z reporter about the chaos that happened this morning, she said there was serious unrest around Cline town, some young people protesting blocked the road, pelting stones, using incentives against fuel dealers and the government, police arrived at the scene fired tear gas removed the barricade structures .
In conclusion the president of Sierra Leone Drivers and General Transportation Workers Union Alpha Amadu Bah has called on commercial riders across the country to put an end to the strike and resume their services.
