The National Electoral Commission (NEC) in their bid to foster easy access to polling stations on elections day, [November 17] will be providing 24 buses, while they will ply different routes with voters.
The Chief Electoral Commissioner of NEC, Christiana Thorpe, said that commuters will not have to pay for the service but that they only need to produce their Voter Identification Card to the NEC staff that will be in the buses for verification and also supervision.
She stated that out of the 24 buses, 11 will be allocated to the Western Area, out of which nine, will be centered in Freetown and between Waterloo and the Penisular. Also, two buses will be allocated to Bo, Kenema and Makeni cities and one bus each for Pujehun, Port Loko, Kambia, Bonthe-Mainland, Tonkolili, and Moyamba.
The Chief Returning Officer emphasized that Okadas are banned from plying in all district headquarter towns and cities of Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Koidu and Bonthe on polling day, but they will however be permitted to ply the rural areas.
Thorpe maintained that all this decision was reached together with different political parties and other stakeholders.
The NEC Chairperson also disclosed that some amount of ballot papers have arrived and was witnessed by relevant stakeholders and that the consignment is due by the end of the week.
By Betty Milton
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