The Ministry of Works and Public Assets on Tuesday 30th June, 2020 facilitated a meeting at the Ministry of Transport and Aviation conference room of several other Ministries and key stakeholders to discuss action plans on the Integrated Resilient Urban Mobility Project (SLIRUMP).
The Ministry of Transport and Aviation is in the implementation stage of the SLIRUMP which is funded by the World Bank. The project Development Objective is to improve access to quality public transport, address climate resilience and improve road safety in selected areas and enhance institutional capacity in the transport sector.
Chairing the stakeholder’s meeting, the Deputy Minister of Works and Public Assets, Hon. Phillip T. Tondoneh said several meetings have been held with the relevant stakeholders on the clearance of the right of way from the east to the west of Freetown which is integral to SLIRUMP project. Hon. Tondoneh called on the implementing Ministries and other stakeholders to be informed by their deliberations having in mind the safety of the people and vehicles.
A Right of Way sub- committee meeting took place on June 24th 2020 and came out with several outputs that the corridors for intervention were increased from 4no to 6no to include the SLIRUMP East ( Jui junction, ferry junction, Cline town, fourah bay road, (Westbound) kissy road (Eastbound), eastern police, Sani Abacha Street, Wilberforce street, SLRTC Bus station) and West ( No.2, Juba, Lumley, Wilkinson road, Aberdeen road Jct, Savage street, Sanders street, Siaka Stevens street, City Hall/Wallace Johnson street, SLRTC Bus station).
The Professional Head in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, Hindolo Shiaka recalled that the SLIRUMP was launched in October last year by His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio and since then; he said several stakeholder engagements had taken place. He also disclosed that within July and August of this year, work on the modernization of Freetown will be seen but they will need the corridors cleared.
The Director of Right of Way of the Sierra Leone Roads Authority, Peter Kome explained that the misuse of the right of way is a serious concern not only in Freetown, but along the high ways and in the provinces. He said the SLRA have undertaken studies in Freetown on both ends on the use of the corridors.
The Deputy Mayor of the Freetown City Council, Osman T. Koroma reiterated that the dream of the Council was to decongest the city for which they too have engaged several relevant authorities. He spoke about alternative markets for the traders that would be removed off the right of the way. The Traders Council representative, Vandy Lansana also emphasized alternative use of market structures by the traders that would be affected.
Commitments of full participation were made from the Ministers of Internal Affairs, Minister of Transport and Aviation, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Sierra Leone Police and the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation.
Public Relations Unit, Ministry of Works and Public Assets and Ministry of Transport and Aviation
