MONROVIA – Liberia’s dysfunctional systems, in many respects, continue to result in immense exploitation of the people by dishonest individuals who exploit the vulnerability of institutional authority. This not only undermines the enforcement of established laws but also disrupts the regulation of sectoral operations.
The commercial land transport sector, a highly profitable arena, is one among many that has fallen prey to extreme extortion, as illegal transport unions continue to collect money daily from drivers and riders across the country without accountability, except pocketing the amounts for individual gain.
Many transport unions, including Road Transport Union of Liberia (RTUL), National Transport Union of Liberia (NTUL), Commercial Drivers Transport Union (CDTUL), ECOWAS Transport Union of Liberia (ECOTUL), Liberia National Trucks Union (LNTUL), among many others, currently operate across the country and are collecting huge sums of money but with nothing commensurate to show for it.
This investigation revealed that no transport union is currently operating legally, as the Ministry of Transport has revoked all permits due to questionable proliferation of unions and their failure to meet the necessary standards for operations.
Since the founding of Liberia almost 200 years ago, commercial vehicles have been and continue to ply the streets of Monrovia and the political subdivisions, with always people, predominantly men, posing as tax collectors for transport unions. They collect amounts in different categories according to the types of vehicles and per the trips made, each, but there’s no trace of any development such as the acquisition of ideal parking lots with terminals and all relevant facilities built.
It is likely that billions of Liberian Dollars (millions of United States Dollars) as of the beginning of transport unions operations in the country since independence,have, for over a century, circulated among people (some dead already though) claiming to be custodians of authority over the movement of cars, including taxis, buses, and pickups as well as motorcycles and recently tricycles (commonly called kekeh) but parking lots continue to be found in-front of shopping centers (stores), on the main streets as well as other spaces privately owned by individuals who take pride in sharing the spoils.
Jasper White, Director for Land Transport at the Ministry of Transport, recently disclosed to this investigation that “it is unfortunate that Liberia has not taken a step forward in getting on par with other counterpart nations that are today benefiting from better infrastructures such as modern terminals with all important facilities to satisfy passengers’ comfort and basic needs.”
White said due to the disorganized operations of unions and their lack of infrastructures to meet the demands of people commuting across the streets and other parts of the country, the Ministry of Transport under the Boakai-Koung regime has placed a moratorium on the registration and renewal of all transport unions in the country.
When asked as to what the Ministry is doing to address the illegal operations of the unions, White disclosed that the Ministry is putting measures in place and upon the completion of the new policies to govern and bring reform into the sector, all unions operating will be required to apply for new permits.
He said, however, that while the Ministry finalizes the policies formation, the transport unions are free to continue with what they are doing.
“We will act at the appropriate time,” White assured.
“Since we took over, we have carried out a survey and realized that there are too many transport unions across the country that are functioning without any structure, identifiable leadership or even ownership of vehicles, parking lots and terminals,” the Transport Ministry’s Director said, adding that the number of unions keep increasing due to internal conflicts.
“When there is a small confusion, the other man will go about forming his own union. We want them meet certain threshold and that is building terminals in each of the places they operate, and there should be facilities such as modern latrines, place for relaxation as passengers transit. Some are working on it and those who have such in place we will grant them the permission to operate.”
White, a new official in the capacity he occupies, added that his office is putting in place new regulations to guide the operations of all transport unions and the public will be informed of the new measures.
Transport Unions
With White’s revelation of the Ministry’s take on the operation of transport unions across the country, this reporter took to the streets to discover how the currently functioning unions manage their daily activities with drivers and riders.
ECOWAS Transport Union of Liberia, a union principally operating in Red Light, the Commercial hub of Paynesville, said it is not benefiting from its operations, although it has been in existence since 2004 and continues to function through collection of parking fees from drivers.
ECOWAS Transport Union of Liberia parking lot sign in Red Light
Marshall Korsor, a senior official of the ECOWAS Transport Union, said vehicles under his union’s supervision ply to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, but not much is being generated to pay salaries of employees and contractors as well as maintaining the space the union occupies.
Korsor disclosed that there are no restrictions on the types of vehicles to transport passengers and their goods, except that every vehicle used must be mechanically good and able to deliver efficient services.
“Buses, pickups and many other cars in good condition are permitted to come to our parking lot and serve our people,” adding, “We are renting this place US$500 monthly, but we do not generate such amount of money from drivers in the same given time” Korsor lamented. “Taxi drivers pay L$1000 per trip while bus drivers pay L$2500 per trip, each time they use our parking lot, but it takes sometimes two to three days before one car leaves for either Guinea or Sierra Leone,” he disclosed.
According to him, the deficit typically faced by the union can be addressed through the goodwill of individuals who believe in and support the union’s initiatives
About what drivers using his parking lot benefit, he said drivers benefit is for the ECOWAS Transport Union to advocate for them each time they are in problem with police.
Passengers traveling to Sierra Leone pay either L$6500 (US$35) or L$6000 (US$33) while those traveling to Guinea pay L$7000 (US$37) or L$6500 (US$35) respectively.
Korsor said his union also operates in Duala and is covering the rent for the location in use; however, he did not disclose the amount being paid for it.
He asserted that his union operates fully in compliance with the Ministry of Transport and maintains close ties with sister unions in neighboring countries to which drivers and passengers from Liberia travel. where drivers along with passengers from Liberia go.
“One of our biggest challenges is that we do not have our own cars,” Korsor disclosed. “When there are no commercial vehicles coming here, we do not provide for passengers and that is bad. This is why we are seeking support from some good partners in Guinea, and we hope to acquire a few soon,” Korsor said.
It remains inconceivable how a business operating without profit continues to flourish, yet Korsor’s assertions persist in suggesting that there are unseen forces from elsewhere supporting the union’s operations, regardless of whether they benefit or not.
He noted that the union, while it pursues the acquisition of its own vehicles, it is contemplating on building its headquarters and terminals, beginning with Monrovia and its environs.
United Transport Union of Liberia (UTUL)
Another transport union, known as the United Transport Union of Liberia (UTUL). operates in Red Light and it collects fees from drivers parked in front of several shopping centers/stores. Vehicles under the jurisdiction of this union travel from red light to Bong and Nimba counties.
An official of the union who begged anonymity disclosed that there is nothing in order as money collected continues to enter the pockets of a few.
“Presently, we do not have an office. We collect money but I don’t know what my bosses do with the money,” the official of the union said in frustration. “We are squatting here and at any time we might be removed from here. This is bad. I have been in Nigeria and what I saw there is quite different from here. Transport unions have their own terminals with all the facilities, including clean bathrooms and hotels for those transiting. Liberia’s case is so sad,” he lamented.
The source disclosed that L$500 is collected from each driver for every trip made. About how many vehicles under the union’s control, the official said, there is no specific number as anyone is free to come to the parking lot and pick up passengers and goods.
The UTUL operates opposite Zone 9 Depot 1 Police station, and according to the union’s official, the police are equally complicit in wrongdoing through alleged collusion with union officials who continue to consume money without taking any action.
“I think the government needs to put up regulations that will stop the increase of the number of transport unions, those already existing should account for their stewardship,” the anonymous official said, adding that there is also a need for the privatization of transport unions to avoid too much interference from public officials who go on hustling to fill their pockets, too.
Another point raised by the UTUL official was that there are too many unknowledgeable individuals running the affairs of transport unions, and as such, they lack the ideas to plan and enlist priorities for the progress of unions.
“Unions should not solely depend on tickets issued to drivers to make money; he asserted. “Investment such as building hotels and other facilities help a lot more than this from hand to mouth thing that is going on this country,” the official recommended.
Johnson Street Bus Parking
Bus drivers on Johnson Street, Central Monrovia, like anywhere else, continue to decry the “exploitation” from transport unions.
James Akoi, a bus driver who has been in the field for over ten years, said it is time government steps in to properly regulate the operations of transport unions in the country.
According to Akoi, individuals with no identification cards or offices to locate show up every day to collect money from drivers with no accountability.
“We only see them here, but we do not know where their office is; we pay L$100 per trip and at times some drivers make four to five trips,” the driver disclosed. “We pay to those we see here on Johnson Street and also pay to another group at Point Four, Bushrod Island before we leave with our passengers,” he said.
Akoi added that more embarrassing is that drivers and passengers have nowhere to sit apart from inside their vehicles, even when time to travel has not come up yet. “We go into the community and beg people for latrine or pay at other latrines run by people. The union does nothing for us. They only collect money and go,” he said.
Efforts to get a word from the only union man around at the time of the conduct of this investigation did not materialize as he refused to speak out. “I have nothing to say,” a man believed to be in his late forties said as he walked away with his book to collect money from a bus picking up for Point four.
Federation of Motorcycle and Tricycle Union of Liberia (FOMTUL)
Another vulnerable segment within the transport union operating in the country is the Federation of Motorcycle and Tricycle Union of Liberia (FOMTUL).
The Union has become vulnerable simply due to a lack of controlled mechanisms to address identity crisis.
According to a survey conducted by FOMTUL, commercial motorcycle and Kekeh riders are about 180,000 to 200,000, and a splinter group of alleged bandits continue to exploit the sector.
Recent visit to the union’s office in Paynesville uncovered that there is no official ticket issuing in the streets to riders nowadays but there are, of course individuals purporting to be staff of the union working under its mandate.
Gibson Jallah, Prince K. Jekeh, Musa A. Kromah, all motorcyclists riding from Red Light to other parts of Paynesville and Monrovia, said a group of young men dressed up in uniform bearing FOMTUL’s logo collects L$30 from them for parking and L$20 for stickers intended for identification purpose.
The riders expressed disappointment over what they call continuous exploitation of them by transport unions.
“They do not only collect money from us for tickets and stickers, but also help Police in arresting our motorbikes. They are working in collaboration with the Police and are always stealing from us,” each of the riders alleged.
The riders alleged that Police officers assigned at the Zone 9 Depot collect from each rider money in different amounts each, especially during the weekends. “They are susu and we pay for them. They harass us every now and then.”
A ranking officer at the Zone 9 Depot who begged anonymity said “How do you think we effectively work if these small small amounts are not coming? How much so much government is providing to motivate us to work without receiving the little amounts we get from the streets,?” he asked rhetorically.
FOMTUL, meanwhile, distanced itself from the issuance of tickets and stickers as it is still re-branding itself and putting measures in place to contain the ugly practices giving it bad attributions.
Sam Brewer, a member of the secretariat of FOMTUL who spoke to this investigation recently, noted that the prevailing situations are troubling and need urgent attention.
“There is too much freedom in Liberia when it comes to people making decisions on being part of trade unions or not, this is why when there is a conflict between two friends, one goes his or her own way to form a new organization of the same nature,” he said No proper regulation from government and as such, people take advantage and steal from people,” Brewer continued.
He said before coming into the federation now known as FOMTUL, there have been and even continue to be smaller groups of organizations claiming to have solutions to the compounding problems affecting motorcyclists and tricyclists. “This is our problem,” he explained.
According to Brewer, FOMTUL is a conglomeration of several different unions, and it is finding means of structuring its operations.
“The merger took place on April 16 this year (2024). We didn’t have money to pay rent, and we were kicked out. Where we are now was paid for by a Christian organization out of good will. How then will people think and believe we are collecting or getting so much money but cannot afford to pay for even rent?” he asked rhetorically.
He admonished Police to identify the culprits of ill-fated actions and punish them. Brewer spoke on behalf of John Keyor, the President of FOMTUL.
Paying Taxes: Liberia Revenue Authority
When contacted to inquire as to whether or not transport unions in the country are paying taxes, Kaihenneh Sengbeh, the Manager of Communications at the Liberia Revenue Authority said there is no record of transport unions paying taxes.
He noted, however, that like labor unions, transport unions too are operating under the same provisions as provided for by law relative to payment of taxes. “I don’t want to be blunt but I think they are part of the exemptions when it comes to paying taxes. We hope more research is done to help inform all us, why it is as it is,” Sengbeh said.
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