Leone Road Safety Authority
By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara
Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), under the leadership of Executive Director James Baggie Bio, launch a decisive operation to clear illegal street garages along Hillside Bypass Road, Dawazark Junction, this initiative targets vehicles, bikes, kekehs, and other road hazards parked unlawfully, which obstruct traffic and endanger lives in Freetown.
The operation addresses long-standing concerns about illegal garages, which have caused traffic congestion and safety risks, as highlighted in a 2022 Sierra Loaded report noting similar issues at Kinghama Road, these garages block roads and threaten safety,
on May 5, 2025, the operation mobilized key stakeholders, including deputy executive director and head of operations Josie A. Scott-Manga, director of safety and enforcement Augustine Kaitongi, and director of traffic management. A joint team of the Sierra Leone police and SLRSA road safety corps worked together, reflecting the collaborative approach Bio championed in 2021 with transport unions. The operation will expand to other areas with illegal garages, such as Ross Road and Fourahbay Road, identified in a 2021 SLRSA decongestion plan.
This effort aligns with SLRSA’s mandate under the road traffic Act of 2007 to regulate road safety and reduce accidents, which claimed over 500 lives in 2024, per ministry of transport data. By clearing illegal garages, SLRSA aims to improve traffic flow and enhance safety for Freetown’s 1.2 million residents. A 2025 SLRSA survey noted 70% of drivers support such operations, though some mechanics, like those at Dawazark, expressed concerns about lost livelihoods, per local interviews.
We’re restoring sanity to our streets, Bio declared, building on his 2022 vision to ease public complaints about traffic chaos, the operation follows SLRSA’s digitalization efforts, including biometric driver’s licenses launched in 2021, which improved road safety enforcement.
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Friday, May 7th, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
