PHOTO: NTA’s fleet populated through foreign donations
By Edwin M. Fayia, III, fayiaedwin@gmail.com
In this small West African state of Liberia for several decades, the issues of Public transport availability, constant denial of access and acute shortages have gone on for countless number of years, thus posing socioeconomic challenges for Liberians and business entities. Running a very effective and efficient public transport system to convey goods and services continues to be elusive.
Most often than not foreign governments, including India, have over the years donated large number of big buses as gifts to the Liberian government. But proper servicing and maintenance over the years remain a nightmare. So, people see massive breakdowns and abandonment of a good portion of the fleet of buses, as in most cases the free buses come with no concerns by Liberia of procuring the needed spare parts. As the old adage says, “when someone is washing your back, you must wash your own stomach.””
Regrettably, successive Liberian governments have on many occasions attempted to make public transport available and affordable transport fares for Liberians and the greater business community with very little success.
Ironically, such endeavor and initiative have woefully gone down the dreams of illusion, hardships and frustration amongst Liberians in the country.
Several outcries by Liberians and business entities have been vented against several Liberian governments hence, such sentiments and sometimes protests are also on many occasions crushed with heavy handedness by security forces.
Consequently, the countless outburst, anger, resentment and outcries are on many occasions brushed aside, downplayed and treated with lip service by Liberian Government officials by both past and present for the past several decades in Liberia.
Historically, Liberia as a nation and its people during the festive seasons of Christmas and New Year geared up for massive celebrations of all kinds throughout the (15) fifteen counties.
When the civil war broke out in 1989, most of the well-established markets in the rural parts were destroyed and on top of that menace, Monrovia in Montserrado County became the center of all vital business transactions for rural Liberians.
In that direction, Liberians during the Christmas troop to Monrovia for critically needed goods and services and such had made Monrovia and its rural commercial hubs highly populated with numerous business entities.
Besides, every year for each Christmas and the much anticipated New Year blessings, pomp and pageantry, hundreds of rural business minded Liberians storm Monrovia business districts of Paynesville, Duala and Waterside and Rally Time markets in extensive shopping sprees.
They are indeed confronted with the acute transportation shortages as public transport buses donated by friendly governments, bilateral partners and philanthropists are been abused, misused and misdirected to unproductive initiatives such as hires for political rallies, private business entities and sometimes parked perpetually for unspecified reasons.
Sadly, the December 8, 2020 special senatorial, by-elections and National Referendum in Liberia were classic examples where even the voting population was left vulnerable at the hands of exploitative commercial drivers and motorcyclists.
The hundreds of commercial motorcyclists who however were on hand to convey potential voters at the various polling stations skyrocketed transport fares at the detriment of the helpless and enthusiastic Liberian voters in many parts of Montserrado County.
As a result, the general public especially Liberians for which those donations of the buses were made were on many occasions spotted at various street corners, parking stations and other places in Monrovia encountering countless difficulties at the hands of some unscrupulous commercial drivers and motorcyclists.
Admittedly, on some of the occasions, commuters, business people and public and private sectors were seen in several extensive scrambles for the inadequate commercial vehicles at the densely populated commercial hubs of Red-Light, Duala and Waterside in Monrovia and Paynesville.
Generally, as resentments, frustration, hardships intensify amongst ordinary Liberians, business people and public and private sector workers, there are no let outs for the unpleasant words against the current administration of the CDC led Government and its top officials in Montserrado County and other parts of Liberia.
Again in 2021, Liberians and the greater business community have been greeted with the usual acute transport shortages while at the same time the current fleet of Liberian government secured commercial buses through the generosity of the Indian Government continue to be conspicuously absent at some of the most populated parking stations in Monrovia and its environs.
In separate comments from some affected Liberians and business people in Monrovia and Paynesville, they expressed grave concern over the current challenges being encountered by them as a result of the unabated and acute shortages of public transport vehicles especially the fleet of buses donated by Indian Government.
Businessman Raymond B. Kesselly, 57, wholesale dealer of general merchandise goods of Red-Light Market in Paynesville noted that most of his profits is indeed left in the hands of unreasonable commercial drivers due to the shortage of public transport vehicles in the country.
“I candidly think and suggest that the current Indian buses been perpetually parked be repaired and deployed in several parts of our country especially Monrovia, Paynesville and Duala commercial hubs,” Mr. Kesselly stressed.
Madam Beatrice Clinton Davis, 44, whole and retail dealer of used clothes and plastic dishes pointed out unless the CDC Government makes some strategic planning and investment in public transport system in Liberia, socioeconomic hardships will continue to hunt Liberians.
“My goodness, our directors and planning managers at the NTA should wake up and do the work of the Liberian people by deploying more public service buses as concerned public servants in our country,” Madam Davis emphasized.
When contacted for official reaction on the sentiments of the general public, executives at the National Transit Authority declined comment and only promised to issue an official statement on the matter at a later date or week.