At long last, the Liberian government has acted with concern the release of new transport fares for Monrovia and its environs, reducing fares by far margins then previously charged by commercial drivers.

The Ministries of Transport and Commerce yesterday released the new, a repeat of previous fares to some extent, at a joint news conference held by Ministers Jackson E. Doe and Cllr. Frances Johnson Morris.

The action comes in the wake of uncontrollable and at-will increase in the transport fares by commercial drivers, thus making commutation very difficult for citizens and residents.

As it stands according to the new fares, the government has considerably reduced fares by either LD$5, 10 or 15 depending on the distance, and what drivers initially or willfully charged. 

For example, the fares from central Monrovia to Duala for Taxi cabs stand at LD$30, from Jamaica Road Junction to Monrovia LD$15; Logan Town, LD$25 and Free port LD$10 while the fare from Monrovia to Bong Mines Bridge is put at LD$25.

Also, according to the government approved fares structures, commuters are required to pay LD$10, $15, $25, and $30 from Monrovia to City Hall, 12th Street, 24th Street, Airfield, Matadi, and Old Road.

Those commuting from Central Monrovia to Congo Town will pay LD$30, ELWA Junction LD$35, Paynesville Joe Bad LD$35, Duport Road Junction LD$40, and Red Light LD$45. In addition, those from Monrovia to Slaughter House and Battery Factory will have to pay LD$15 respectively.

Others commuting on buses will pay less than LD$5 the amount for taxi cabs, meaning a LD$5 deduction on each fare for Taxi. At a joint news conference, the two ministers, Jackson E. De and Cllr. Francis Johnson Morris, recalled the high cost of prices experienced by citizens, which sparked off public outcries.

They observed that the situation for lasted for a very long period of time put citizens at the disadvantage of drivers throughout the country. Speaking earlier, Transport Minister Doe said the government’s decision to launch an extensive research on transport fare was based on the “exorbitant fees” then charged by drivers.

“The new transport fares being imposed by the Liberian Government will take immediate effect as of yesterday, July 3, 2008, and hope that the public cooperate by insisting on the fares and reporting would-be violators. The drivers were exploiting the ordinary citizens, which is not going be accepted by the Liberian government,” he said.

According to the Transport Minister, there is need for the public to enforce the new fares by resisting any form of high transport fares drivers may want to impose. The Liberian transport minister said, the new transport fare does not cover the entire country, other than Monrovia and its environs.

For her part, Liberia’s Commerce Minister, Cllr. Frances Johnson Morris assured Liberians that the new transport fare would not be compromised by the Liberian government in implementing the policy and regulations, and added that they would ensure that drivers adhere to the new transportation fares in Monrovia and its environs.

“Though the government is aware of the global petroleum problem, it should not be used to exploit ordinary Liberians. The Justice Ministry and the National Police would be a part of process to enforce the new transport fare in the country,” said, and that any driver found defrauding the new transportation fare would face the weight of the law.

Meanwhile authorities of the transports union in the country have promised to cooperate with the new fare, and called on commercial drivers to accept the new price structures introduced by the government.

The ministries of transport and commerce have issued phone numbers 077001303; 06570981 and 06666601, and urged the public to report those drivers who may want to challenge the authority of the government as far as the new transport fares are concerned.
 
Land Issue Poses Challenges
Ellen Tells lawmakers; submits land commission bill to legislature

The Executive Branch through its head, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has submitted a draft bill to the National Legislature establishing the “Land Commission”.

The draft bill was read yesterday in the Lower House during its regular Thursday Session. Following its reading, it was subsequently sent to committee rooms of relevant committees, to allow them review the nitty-gritty of the bill before making recommendations to the plenary for its passage or rejection.

The bill is yet to be introduced in the Upper House of Parliament, the House of Senate, But President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in a communication addressed to Speaker Alex Tyler on June 24, 2008, which was read in open session, said the issues of land rights, administration, management, sale, possession, occupancy, control and the distribution have posed major challenges to a peaceful post-war Liberia

The chief executive informed the lawmakers in the communication that in order to maintain the peace and stability in the county, all contending issues surrounding land must be addressed and resolved.

Giving the objective of the draft bill, president Sirleaf noted that the passage into law of the land commission bill will be tasked to examine the contending land issues and to make recommendations to the government.

Since the inception of Madam Sirleaf as president in 2006, the government has been faced with land crisis with citizens taking the law into their own hands.

It can be recalled that land disputes between people and people, village and village, town and town had caused several people to die in Maryland, and in recent times, over thirteen citizens were brutally murdered in Margibi and Grand Bassa counties

Another account of land dispute involves Gio and Mano ethnic groups on the one hand and their Mandingo counterparts on the other hand in Nimba County.

In order to bring the problem to a halt, President Sirleaf a year ago set up a committee to look into it.To date, the committee did not complete the task assigned it due to bottlenecks occasioned by budgetary constraints.