Published: August 1, 2025
CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA – The House of Representatives has ordered the immediate suspension of Liberia Traffic Management Incorporated (LTM)’s operations and restored full control of national traffic functions to the Ministry of Transport. The move comes amid a deepening crisis surrounding the LTM concession, a $50 million deal critics now say could undermine Liberian sovereignty, transparency, and public safety.
The decision, announced Thursday, July 31, follows the company’s failure to honor a legislative summons, a move the House has branded as contempt of the Legislature. LTM, a Lebanese-owned company with sweeping control over vehicle registration, driver licensing, and traffic enforcement under the concession, also failed to provide a written explanation for its absence.
“All summoned parties complied except LTM,” said Robert Haynes, Director of Press and Public Affairs at the House of Representatives. “Their refusal to appear is a violation of legislative authority and cannot be tolerated.”
The House’s Joint Committee on Investment, Concession, and Transport directed the Ministry of Transport to resume its statutory duties immediately, including coordination with the Liberia National Police. Until further notice, all activities by LTM are to remain suspended.
A Concession Mired in Controversy
Originally signed in 2018 under the Weah administration but activated in July 2025, the concession has faced stiff opposition from lawmakers, civil society, commercial drivers, and even sitting Cabinet members. Critics say the deal transfers essential public responsibilities to a foreign entity, raises serious national security concerns, and strips hundreds of Liberian civil servants of their roles.
“This company is exploiting Liberians under the guise of traffic enforcement,” said Morris Dolo, a commercial driver. “They extort money from us and ignore the law.”
Among the most controversial aspects of the concession is LTM’s revenue-sharing formula, which allegedly allows the company to retain 70% of all traffic-related income while the government receives just 30%. Transport Ministry staff say this arrangement has gutted their operational budget and left over 200 employees functionally idle.
“We are essentially being paid to do nothing,” said a Ministry staffer who spoke on condition of anonymity. “This is not reform. This is dismantling the state.”
Public Outrage and Protest
On July 28, hundreds of commercial drivers staged coordinated protests at ELWA Junction and Capitol Bypass. They accused LTM agents of “double ticketing”, fining drivers twice for the same offense, harassment, and arbitrary penalties.
“We don’t want LTM. We want the Ministry of Transport,” chanted protest leader Musa Flomo, surrounded by fellow drivers who had parked their vehicles in defiance.
The protests came just days after the Boakai administration announced an increase in vehicle registration fees under LTM’s authority, without prior consultation with stakeholders. Registration for commercial taxis, for instance, surged from $75 under the Weah government to $300, while fees for heavy-duty trucks climbed to as high as $700.
“This is extortion,” said Daniel Momo, a taxi driver. “With high fuel costs, daily delivery targets, and LTM fines, there’s nothing left for us to take home.”
Clash at the Cabinet Level
In October 2024, Transport Minister Sirleaf Tyler and Justice Minister Cllr. Oswald Tweh clashed publicly during a Senate hearing. Minister Tyler described the agreement as “unfair,” warning it would “outsource the statutory functions of the Ministry of Transport to a private foreign firm.”
Tweh, on the other hand, defended the contract, saying it had already been ratified by the Legislature and held the full force of law. “We must respect the rule of law,” he told lawmakers. “Either we embrace the concession or reject it—but we cannot selectively implement it.”
President Boakai appeared to break the deadlock in January 2025, issuing a formal endorsement of the LTM agreement. In a letter to the Transport Ministry, he affirmed the concession’s legality and directed the Justice Ministry to ensure its full implementation.
“LTM has withdrawn its case from the court,” Boakai wrote. “I have directed the Minister of Justice to proceed with the implementation.”
But critics say the President’s move ignored lingering concerns, including a Supreme Court stay order related to another traffic services firm, the Modern Development and Management Corporation (MDMC), which claims contractual priority over LTM. The Ministry of Justice reportedly went ahead with the LTM deal anyway, triggering accusations of executive overreach and contempt for the judiciary.
Senate Joins House in Opposition
On July 24, just days before the House’s decisive suspension order, the Liberian Senate also voted to halt implementation of the concession and launch a full investigation. Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, who introduced the motion, said the agreement posed a “direct threat to national revenue and institutional integrity.”
“There is no need to fix what is not broken,” added Grand Cape Mount Senator Daba Varpilah. “We risk losing millions in revenue and weakening an already under-resourced Ministry.”
Maryland County Senator James Biney exposed discrepancies in the contract itself, noting that one version preserved the Ministry’s regulatory functions, while another ceded them to LTM.
“We must clarify which version was passed, if any,” he said.
Lofa County Senator Momo Cyrus slammed the concession’s 25-year duration, warning that it amounts to a monopoly. “This law must be canceled,” said Senator Nathaniel McGill of Margibi County. “The legislative branch has a responsibility to protect public interest.”
Legal and Technical Red Flags
An in-depth review of the concession agreement by critics reveals a slew of structural, legal, and policy flaws.
Section 3.1 of the contract contains two clauses labeled “3.1(b)” and a self-referencing 3.1(c), creating confusion about which services are exempt or included under the concession. Further, the agreement’s project committee, responsible for oversight, comprises just two representatives: one from the Ministry of Finance and one from the Liberia National Police. The Ministry of Transport, the key stakeholder, is excluded entirely.
Data sovereignty is another major concern. The contract is silent on who owns the massive troves of biometric and vehicular data LTM is collecting—or where it will be stored. No clauses address data security, storage protocols, or protections against foreign misuse.
There is also no mandated audit mechanism, no clear performance benchmarks, and no transparency in service pricing. Section 15 allows LTM to set rates in “consultation” with the project committee, without any reference to affordability or cost-of-living adjustments.
Further punishment likely
The House Joint Committee has summoned LTM’s legal counsel to appear Monday to explain the company’s no-show and clarify its legal position. Failure to comply could result in further punitive action.
“The Legislature will not tolerate disrespect from any entity operating in Liberia,” said Haynes. “We are committed to ensuring transparency, accountability, and the protection of national interest.”
For now, the stay-order remains in effect, and the Ministry of Transport has resumed its core functions pending the outcome of the legislative review.
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