Monrovia – Restrictions over the movement of tricycles in Monrovia is leading some owners to frustration with at least one of them threatening to burn himself in front of the Capitol by next week, if the decision is not reversed.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo/ [email protected]
“If the Government cannot allow tricycle to run Broad Street and Carey Streets it would be a chaos, because for me I promised the Government from now till next Thursday, if the tricycles don’t take Broad and Carey Street, I will burn myself in front of the Capitol Building, we’re paying taxes.”
“If I don’t fly on these streets, I will burn myself” Siaffa Jah, Tricycle Rider
He told FrontPageAfrica that it beat his imagination, that the Police would put in place such a restriction to the disadvantage of owners and riders of tricycles.
Siaffa: “If the Government cannot allow tricycle to run Broad Street and Carey Street it will be a chaos because for me I promised the Government from now to next Thursday if the tricycle don’t take Broad and Carey Street I will burn myself in front of the Capitol Building, we paying taxes, if I don’t fly on these streets I will burn myself.”
The Police recent regulation prohibits tricycle riders from using Broad Street and also from parking behind the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning where they usually parked. They are now expected to park on Mechlin and Robert Streets.
The vice President of the Tricycle and Motorcycle Union speaking to FrontPageAfrica said, “We are gathered here to protest the manner in which the Police have continuously marginalized us.
Now they have come up with regulations from one street to other street; we say this is unfair because we are tax payers and we all have equal rights to ply the road like any other vehicle.
We insure our tricycles; we are all licensed riders, so each vehicle that pays taxes like us must be able to ply the road.
We have been arrested without any due cause, we are not going to accept it and we are going to protest to the President to ask them to revisit their decision.”
Francis Mulbah, also a tricyclist said, “I want to be clear because this is against the constitutional rights of the country.
It’s a ‘4G’ regulation; it is unfortunate on the part of the Government, the Liberian youths are trooping in this sector, this is dissatisfactory.
This can also serve as recipe for conflict, we believe that the lawmakers should make laws to protect this sector, majority of us are young people.”
He further stated that the Liberian Government cannot provide jobs for everyone.
“The riding of this ‘keke’ is also empowerment for the youths because if the Government takes this job from us (youths) they are brewing conflict.”
Elijah Ola, Director of tricycle and motorcycle association also called the action as marginalization recalled the trail of scenes between the LNP and the motorcyclists.
“We have been marginalized; they are not the lawmaker, they are only enforcers of the law.”
Wednesday we were taken from the street without any information and this is like we are not part of Liberia,” he said.
In addition, Ola said that the action is also an obstruction of freedom of movement.
“There is no freedom of movement in Liberia for motorcycles, the Police harass and intimidate us.
We are coming into election we don’t want violence; we pay US$150 every month, US$35 driver’s license and US$150 as insurance.
Aren’t we a vehicle, if we aren’t, don’t take taxes from us. We are not causing problem, the Police is not the law, the next attempt they will try to remove cyclists from the street we will not allow it because we are also citizens of the country,” he said.
Roland Gaye, also a cyclist said, “Many youths are engaged in this tricycle business; the regulation is like suppression, from two tires to three tires we beg them to work with us.
The common people used the tricycle; I think the Liberia National Police is doing things out of grudge. They are not listening to us because we control these guys.
Let the decision be reviewed, the biggest parking we have is at the back of the Finance Ministry so relocating us will be a problem.
“We know there are some careless riders, but all we need is respect, the season is coming let them see what best they can do, if you say the tricycle is causing traffic, a Police officer must be blamed, so we are urging government to meet our representative to smooth things out.”
The Director of Public Safety of the LNP, Meekie Gray, speaking to FrontPage said the restriction was a joint decision taken by the LNP and the leadership of the cyclists.
He said the decision was geared toward bringing sanity to Carey Street.
“The leadership came and I told them we were relocating the parking, we don’t mean harm, it is done to bring sanity to Carey Street and to allow the free flow of traffic,” he said.
The LNP Public Safety boss said the relocation of the parking was done Wednesday from Carey Street to Mechlin Street adding that Broad Street is a no go zone for tricyclists.
“Carey Street parking is a violation, I told them the main Broad Street is a no go zone. So all we are doing is that the Police will enforce the law and as I said we don’t mean harm,” he emphasized.