Monrovia – According to the vehicle and traffic laws of Liberia, only Police vehicles, Ambulances, Fire Trucks, and emergency vehicles spelled out are required to use sirens. However, the Justice Minister in his wisdom, according to the laws, gives the President, Vice President, Speaker and the Chief Justice’s convoys, the right to use the Sirens on the street.
Report by Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]
“It shall not be lawful for any person to drive a motor vehicle of any class description on a prescribed road or on a road within a prescribed area at a speed greater than the speed prescribed as the maximum speed in relation to a vehicle of the class or description and if any person acts in contravention of this section he shall be guilty of an offense and shall be liable on conviction to the following penalties. Penalty range to fines of between two to six thousand Liberian dollars depending on the nature of the offense” – Traffic Rules, Section 26.1
Drive through Monrovia streets these days, motorists are becoming increasingly annoyed over the total disregard of traffic regulations by those appointed and elected to serve the people.
From Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee to the Chief Justice and his associates as well as senior government ministers and some junior ones, the traffic is becoming increasingly unbearable for motorists.
Police Director Patrick Sudue when contacted Wednesday says he is in the process of investigating the issue and will shortly becoming out with a policy to curb the massive abuse of traffic rules by those at the helm of power.
Worldnomads.com which monitors traffic spots and advises travelers on the countries they are visiting reports that traffic laws in Monrovia are effectively non-existent and un-enforceable. “Driving in Monrovia presents a very real threat to life, or just limb if you’re lucky.”
“Traffic accidents happen frequently and often result in death. It doesn’t help that road quality is terrible, with large numbers of potholes present.”
“All forms of motorised transport tend to have far more people in or on them than is safe, and are also incredibly overburdened with luggage of many varieties.”
“Driver and vehicle quality tends to be substandard, with drivers stopping without signalling, driving at high speeds, overtaking on both the left and the right and anything else you can think of, in poorly maintained vehicles with really bad tyres.”
The report notes that it is virtually impossible to drive through Monrovia without seeing a tyre blowout.
“Intersections present an interesting problem while driving in Monrovia, since there aren’t road signs and essentially no traffic laws.”
“Approach these with caution, and look out for both pedestrians and other vehicles who may not see you or care that you’re there.”
“High-speed car convoys of government officials require all other vehicles and pedestrians to pull over until they have passed by.”
“In case you were wondering, yes, they will run you over if you don’t get out of the way.”
“Theft and armed extortion has happened in taxis and really, if the dilapidated state of the taxis in Monrovia wasn’t enough to make you steer clear, the fact that taxi drivers tend to rob foreigners should be. It’s a good idea to stay away from public transportation altogether.”
According to the World Health Organization, Road Traffic Accidents Deaths in Liberia reached 832 or 2.66% of total deaths in 2014.
“The age adjusted Death Rate is 25.48 per 100,000 of population ranks Liberia #31 in the world.”
The previous administration at the LNP acknowledged on numerous occasions that drivers of government vehicles pose the greatest dangers to motorists as many fail to adhere to traffic rules and regulations.
One official previously told FrontPageAfrica that government-driven cars are becoming just as dangerous as the high-risk motorcyclists or “pen pen riders”.
All this against the backdrop of stringent traffic measures on the books.
Section 27.1 of the traffic rules state: “If any person drives a motor vehicle on a road recklessly, or at a speed in a manner which is dangerous to the public, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, including the nature, condition, and use of the road, and the amount of traffic which is actually at the time or which might reasonably be expected to be on the road, he shall be liable – to conviction to a penalty not exceeding twenty thousand Liberian dollars and in a default of payment to imprisonment with our without hard labour for a term not exceeding six months.”
Section 26.1 states: “It shall not be lawful for any person to drive a motor vehicle of any class description on a prescribed road or on a road within a prescribed area at a speed greater than the speed prescribed as the maximum speed in relation to a vehicle of the class or description and if any person acts in contravention of this section he shall be guilty of an offense and shall be liable on conviction to the following penalties. Penalty range to fines of between two to six thousand Liberian dollars depending on the nature of the offense.”
In a poor nation already handicapped by decent roads and space, motorists are being run-off the road by government-plated vehicles and in some cases jeeps without license plates escorted by police motorbikes.
In some instances, there are no police cars at the tail end of the convoys breaking traffic rules, forcing some motorists to join the convoy and wreaking traffic havoc.
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