-Prompting Liberian police to re-enforce restrictions
By Augustine Octavius
Deaths in motorcycle crashes have gone up sharply in a short period, Liberia National Police (LNP) authorities said in Monrovia on Thursday.
National Police Inspector General (IG) Colonel Abraham Kromah has disclosed that eight people were killed as a result of motorcycle accidents during the relaxation on the restriction of the movements of motorcyclists, locally referred to as “Pehm-pehm riders”.
Deputy IG Kromah, who did not disclose the specific areas where accidents occurred, said with the heated political activities over, the LNP is now re-enforcing the no-go zones for motorcyclists.
It was because of the high incidents of fatal motorcycle accidents that their movement were in recent years banned from main streets in and around the Liberian capital, Monrovia but only restricted to feeder roads.
In an interview with reporters, the deputy police chief emphasized that the restriction was very necessary, as there has been an increase in the rate of motorcycle accidents in Monrovia and its environs.
In addition to the rise in motorbike accidents, the police say some are using motorcycles in carryout stealing and for other criminal purposes.
The deputy police chief is meanwhile calling on political parties to recall their motorcyclists from the no-go zones.
He explained that most of the victims in the recent motorcycle accidents include children, women and the elderly.
The Deputy Police IG said the LNP cannot allow the list of people who have been injured as a result of motorcycle accidents to increase further.