The Deputy Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority [SLRSA] Mr. James Baggie Bio on Thursday February 3rd, 2022 cemented and strengthened the already existing mutual working relationship between the Authority and transport stakeholders in Kambia District, North-West of Sierra Leone at a high level talks with them at the Kambia Town District Council Hall.
Mr. James Bio who conveyed felicitations of the newly appointed Executive Director Rev. Smart Senesie expressed his profound appreciation to stakeholders of Kambia District for the warm reception they accorded him at a very short notice, the D.E.D said, part of the mandate of the Authority was to register and license motor vehicles and drivers and to also regulate; administer, inspect and supervise vehicle maintenance, routing and monitoring of passengers and goods transportation, this mandate is a statutory mandate, says Mr. Bio.
He furthered noted that during enforcement, personnel of the Authority [Road Safety Corps] may encounter challenges while interfacing with members of the public while executing their lawful duties, this according to the Deputy Executive Director are challenges that are bound to happen but can also to be surmounted. Mr. Bio went on to say, the authority is also a
revenue generation entity stressing that 10% of the revenue generated by the SLRSA is sent to the Road Maintenance Fund Administration [RMFA] to develop the roads of the country, the estranged relationship between personnel of the authority and stakeholders in Kambia had affected revenue generation.
“Continued Attacks on our facilities and personnel undermines the peace, security and stability of the people of Kambia hence the need to bridge the gap and let there be peace and understanding between the authority and stakeholders” Mr. Bio said.
The Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea, H.E Alimamy Hassan Bangura who was present at the engagement informed that, as a diplomat and a stakeholder in the district, their interest is to support government projects and agenda, if the SLRSA succeed in achieving its mandate and operations, it be a boost to the central government, says Ambassador Bangura. The Ambassador registered that, there had not been a synergy between the leadership of the Road Safety Corps in Kambia and stakeholders of the District, this he said was as a result of the lack of communication and understanding between the parties involved.
Ambassador Bangura maintained that, going forward there was need for a cordial relationship between Road Safety Corps and Stakeholders in Kambia, He used the occasion to call on all the parties to move forward for the betterment of the district and that stakeholders should support the activities of the Road Safety Corps in the District and same is expected from the authority.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police Kambia Division I.T.Z Tarawally assured stakeholders present at the engagement of SLP support to Road Safety Corps and their operations. Mr. Tarawally called on the Management of the SLRSA to always supervise the activities of the RSCs.
It could be recalled that, in July last year irate bike riders attacked the office of SLRSA in Kambia town and since then, there had been a soured relationship between and among the RSCs and stakeholders. It was requested that, the authority revisit it ticket fines and that during the cause of their operations, they should not chase motorbike riders.
The Deputy Executive Director was pleased with the frank talks with stakeholders and promised to revert to management on the request to revisit ticket fines, the President of the Bike Riders Union was present at the engagement and promised his membership support to the authority and further informed his membership and stakeholders that, in an engagement with the management of the SLRSA, they had agreed to print motorbike license for riders at the cost of Le 380,000 for a five year period.
It was agreed that, there should be effective information sharing between stakeholders, quarterly engagements and inter-agency collaboration. To build a strong bond going further, the ambassador promised to acquire 50 motorbike riders license for a start.
The Deputy Executive Director was accompanied by the Company Secretary, Abubakarr Sheriff Esq. Director of Safety and Enforcement Augustine Kaitongi, Road Safety Corps Admin SRC Lamin Yansaneh and Hassan Nelson Barrie PR assistant.
