The Executive Director of the Attitudinal and Behavioral Change Secretariat, Ivan Ajibola Thomas past Tuesday met with members of the Bike Riders Association in the conference hall of the Ministry of Information and Communication at Youyi building.
Delivering his statement, Mr. Thomas called on members of the association to encourage their members to respect traffic rules and regulations and to refrain from reckless riding.
He noted that in 2011 there were 2000 recorded bike related accidents in the country out of which 36 deaths were recorded. He however commended the Association for its role in the transport sector and urged them to exhibit their best attitudes as they are dealing with people whom they should regard with respect as sources of their livelihood.
The Minister of Information and Communications, Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo assured the riders of government’s support but cautioned them to execute their duties responsibly.
The Minister expressed the President’s acknowledgement of their role in the transport sector stating that government reduced customs duty on motor bikes as a demonstration of that acknowledgement. He encouraged the riders to add value to their work by putting up best practices when on duty and to ensure that their bikes are licensed and insured.
Minister Kargbo also encouraged the Bike Riders to cooperate with the ABC Secretariat and by becoming role models in the transport sector.
The National Traffic Coordinator of the Sierra Leone Police, Superintendent Ambrose Michael Sovula noted that traffic regulations are so comprehensive that it is difficult for one to ride a bike without committing a traffic offence. He therefore advised them to be careful not to violate core traffic offences like, riding an unregistered bike, riding without license, ignoring police stop signals, over speeding, overloading, riding without a crash helmet among many other offenses. He said all of these offenses are not compromised.
The superintendent said they acknowledge the important role the association is playing and assured them of cooperation of the police if they behaved themselves well on the roads.
He encouraged members of the Association to be united and form a formidable force and not to allow a rift within the organization as it will hamper their progress.
The Training Coordinator Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA), Kolo Kamara admonished bike riders to behave maturely and to ensure that their responsibility reflects on their work.
He outlined four key road signs that bike riders should take note of when riding to show responsibility. These he said include the informative sign, the directional sign, the circular sign and the warning sign.
He said these signs are not meant to decorate the streets but to serve as guide to road users, adding that they should apply their professionalism by exhibiting more sense of responsibility while riding.
He disclosed that according to a survey conducted by SLRA, 90% of accidents in 2011 occurred as a result of over speeding and disregard for road signs.
The president of the Sierra Leone Bike Riders Association, Mr. Tucker stated that his Association is pleased that they are recognized as an important component in the development of the country.
He said the Association has been collaborating with stakeholders to improve on the standard of their members by improving their skills and respect for rules and regulations.
He assured his audience that the leadership of the association will work hard to sensitize their members on the need to cooperate with stakeholders such as the police and Road Transport Authority and also to respect road signs.
By Alhaji M. Kamara
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