LIBERIA: Tricycles, Motorbikes Riders Lawlessly Ride  ‘No-Go-Zone’ In Monrovia, As Police Plays Blind Eyes

Since many of them overwhelmingly voted to power the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) of President George Manneh Weah in 2017, many of the riders have vowed to violate traffic laws with no fear of law enforcement officers to play anywhere in the city with tricycles commonly call Keh-Keh and their bikes or Pen-Pen.

During previous administration, specifically the Ellen-led government tricycles and motorbikes riders were restricted to their respective communities, a situation at the time helped to reduce the death related accidents which was very high, but nowadays many of them have no regard to such restrictions.

These riders without fear of the police ply everywhere in the city at most times causing serious traffic violations in the city center, as many of the police sit and watch with blind eyes as these traffic violators carryout their act with impunity at the detriment of the ordinary citizens and vehicles riders.

According to GNN investigation, many of these commercial tricycles and motorbikes are reportedly owned by the very traffic police in the street, thereby finding it very difficult to arrest their own riders, despite their continuous violation of vehicle and traffic rules.

One of the victims of tricycle accident told GNN how his vehicle was wrongly hit by a rider of a tricycle, he said when this tricycle rider was taken to the police station, a police officer (Owner of the tricycle) came in defense of the violator by pleading that the tricycle which was involved in the accident is his, thereby he prevailed on his colleagues to disregard; meaning the victim had to go without justice.

According to GNN investigation, several traffic police officers are owners of commercial motorbikes and tricycles in Monrovia and its environs, a situation that continues to hamper the prosecution of traffic violators, especially those owned by the very police officers who should forward such cases to the police.

In a related development in line with the cultural of impunity, several “Keh-keh” riders in Monrovia have threatened non-compliance posture against traffic regulation measures if their grievances are not address

A group of Tricycle Riders under the banner “Aggrieved Tri-Cyle Riders” have threatened to vehemently resist any measure put in place by every union in regulating traffic. They are also calling on the government to dissolve all Tri-Cycle unions in and around Monrovia.

The group’s Secretary Abdulayee Kromah said over the years, they have obeyed all rules and regulations of the unions, yet they do not have parking lots and a headquarters. Kromah and his colleagues are demanding answers to the usage of taxes they pay daily.

Let authority of the Liberia National Police see reason to seriously monitor the movement of both the tricycles and motorbikes riders, and allow them to return to previous position of riding in local communities instead the city center.