...Cautions Riders To Adhere To Safety Measures
Monrovia-May-15-2024-TNR:Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung has reached an agreement with police for commercial motorcyclists to ply principal streets in Monrovia.
The agreement calls for straight adherence to all safety measures by commercial motorcyclists nationwide.
Preliminary notice from the Liberia National Police (LNP) suggested a ban for commercial motorcyclists on the principle streets of Monrovia beginning May 15, 2024.
However, the latest intervention by Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung will now allow motorcyclists to access the restricted streets but must comply with traffic and safety laws, according to LNP.
The new agreement was reached Thursday, May 9, 2024, in a meeting with the leadership of two commercial motorcycle groups and police authorities.
LNP was represented by Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman and convened by Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung at his capitol building office.
VP Koung after hearing from the motorcyclists and the police appealed to police authorities to relax the ban, but with the agreement that all motorcyclists plying these restricted main streets carry one passenger with both the rider and the co-rider wearing safety gear including helmets, and must be above 18 years of age.
Vice President Koung said his intervention which was requested by the Unity Party Chairman is meant to ease a growing tension between the Liberia National Police and commercial motorcyclists nationwide on the ban preventing motorcyclists from accessing main streets in Monrovia.
Speaking following the meeting, IG Coleman thanked the Vice President for the intervention; while explaining that the concern of the police has always been the protection of lives and properties.
He said the lack of a culture of safety with the motorcyclists being the most vulnerable triggered the police's recent action on the proposed ban in question.
The leadership of the two unions, the Federation of Motorcycles and Tricycles Unions of Liberia (FOMTUL) and the National Federation of Motorcycles and Tricycles Association of Liberia (NAFOMTAL) also hailed the VP for his timely intervention and called on their members nationwide to fully adhere to the new agreement as appealed for by the Vice President.
