Habitants of Freetown were yesterday, Monday, 11th September forced to walk long and short distances to their work and places of business when commercial vehicle drivers (Poda-Poda’ and Taxis) failed to run their vehicles almost for the better part of the day.

Workers, School Children, business people walked along the city of Freetown for their daily duties

This action by the drivers, though not referred to as a strike action by the executive, had the hallmarks of a full blown industrial action as the entire city was held to a standstill.

According to the Drivers, the stay from work action was in reaction to what they referred to "the constant harassment of drivers by Traffic Police officers and Road Transport Authority Traffic Wardens".

Traders and business people walk miles upon miles to earn their day living

Long queues of people, school-going children, office workers, traders and so on were found on all major interjections of the city from Calaba Town in the far East to Lumley in the far West of the city languishing in wait for a transport to take them to central Freetown. Some people, who could not do without, managed to sweat it out, by trekking the long distances to town.

Snap shot taken by our reporter of people walking from Eastend to Westend by foot

Fatmata Bangura of Jamboria Street, Calaba Town, and a Computer Internet Café Assistant told Awareness Times that she had been at the lorry park as early as 6:00am and had spent over three hours without seeing any ‘Poda-Poda’ transport or taxi.

"I don’t think I am going to work today", she intimated, adding that she would have to call her boss in down town Freetown to tell him of her plight.

People walk their way home after work

Fatmata, like hundreds of other people who were stranded at various points across the city yesterday never came to work.

Some small businesses could not open yesterday because their owners could not afford to go to town.

Drivers of commercial vehicles held meeting for harassment by Police

This situation, however attracted the senior management of the Sierra Leone Police, as the Regional Commander-West, Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Tamba Gbekie and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Richard Moigbeh cruised to the headquarters of the Drivers Union.

At a subsequent meeting convened at the Drivers Union headquarters, the President of the Drivers Union, Abubakar Sillah informed his guests that the action of the drivers is in reaction to the persistent harassment the drivers are suffering from in the hands of Traffic Police personnel and Wardens.

Mr. Sillah further intimated that the executive has been receiving series of complaints from its members on this issue stating that "today, we decided to call ourselves in order to put our grievances together so as to find a way forward".

He stated that over five hundred of his members have been arrested since August all of whom were charged to Court for "minor offences" such as parking on the wrong spot and for defaulting lights.

"As I speak to you now we have ninety-five of our members that are currently languishing at the Pademba Road Maximum Prison charged with similar minor offences", Sillah intimated.

The Secretary General of the Union, Nfa Alie Kamara, maintained that he had held meetings with senior officials of the Police Traffic Division with the view "to arrive at a common understanding in the interest of both sides" he said, but that those he met never treated his concern with the seriousness it deserves.

"By continuing with their actions of harassment against our members, it was our considered view that the police and the Wardens have waged war on us", Kamara stated.

Police Commander Tamba Gbekie noted with concern the sufferings incurred by the ordinary citizens because of the drivers’ action stating that the drivers’ concerns are complex but that they should have taken into consideration the effect their action would have on the ordinary people.

"It would have been good if you had forwarded your concerns to the senior level, I believe, we would have reached a understanding that would have averted what the people of this city are encountering today", Commander Gbekie noted.

According to him police and drivers are having the common interest which is to ensure the safety of the lives and property of ordinary citizens, noting that in the process of doing which should be characterized by care, and a sense of responsibility.

The Police Commander however charged that most drivers drive their vehicles without adequate headlights or trafficators, no breaks and driving with tyres that have gone smooth; which he noted is the cause for most road accidents around the country.

Commander Gbekie also maintained that those drivers in detention were charged with offences though in the eyes of the drivers are minor, are part of the traffic regulations of the country to which he said all drivers must be aufait with.

The Police Operations Commander, Richard Moigbeh said they and the drivers are not rivals, rather "we are partners in development for which reason it is expected of us to work amicably in the interest of national development."

He assured the drivers’ executive that their concerns would be looked into to ensure that what they refer to as "harassment" would stop.

He implored the executive to call on their drivers to resume work in order to "ease the already charged transport situation in the city".

He referred to the situation as it unfolds within the city as "a security risk" as it is a cause of worry to "all well meaning Sierra Leoneans".

The meeting however ended with the assurance from the drivers’ executive that commercial vehicles would start plying the roads again.

Indeed by 4:00pm yesterday, commercial vehicles had started plying the roads, though with some asking for One Thousand Leones (Le 1,000) as transport fees away from the Seven hundred Leones (Le 700) it used to be.