In Liberia, motorbike taxis locally known as “pemh-pemh” can transport cargo of all sorts and proportion, overloading and defying all road safety standards.
But the load you see being carried on this one in this photo is modest by Liberian standard.
Well, while en route to the Freeport of Monrovia on the Japan Freeway recently, I couldn’t help but wonder: what about safety on our roads. My could not also help but capture one of the thousands of Liberian youths who on a daily basis pack this two-wheel engine, which is an increasingly popular mode of transport and without use of safety helmet. Riding motorbike here without safety helmet has been institutionalized and is now a norm, something that has been existing for many years.
According to the World Health Organization *WHO), “Road traffic crashes result in the deaths of approximately 1.3 million people around the world each year and leave between 20 and 50 million people with non-fatal injuries.”
Even national Police officers are seen wheeling down the streets and highways without using helmet. Writes Frank Sainworla, Jr., fsainworla@yahoo.com