GANTA, Nimba – The spokesman for the Disabled Association of Nimba, Gabriel Soe, is calling on the authorities of Nimba County to reconsider restricting the movement of commercial motorbikes in Ganta and its environs.

He spoke to a team of journalists at the Ganta United Methodist Hospital over the weekend.

Recently, the Justice Minister and authorities of Nimba banned the operations of commercial motorcycles in Ganta following the mob violence that destroyed properties and killed one person on September 30, 2015. The ban on motorcycles is expected to continue until full investigations are conducted as to the reasons behind the violence and those involved are apprehended.

“We, the disabled community of Nimba and Ganta in particular, are calling on the superintendent of this county and the government of Liberia to allow motorbikes to operate,” Soe said.

He said the ban has made it difficult for not only the disabled, but also for other citizens to get around town.

Meanwhile, on Monday via the Voice of Gompa’s Show,  Daybreak Gompa, Amos Suah, a candidate for district representative, called on the county and government authorities to see the importance of commercial motorbikes.

“Lots of those people that are riding the bikes depend only on the bike as a means of survival,” he said. Suah further noted that the majority of those who ride bikes have to take care of their families.

“For the few days that have passed, our people are finding it very difficult to commute from one point to another due to the fact that bikes are not in the streets,” he added. “We understand that the government is doing [its best] to have the investigation go fast. But the few days off have served as a lesson to [the motorcyclists].”

Suah said the motorcyclists should be allowed to operate for the sake of students and business people.

Suah served as Inspector of the City of Gompa from 2003–2005 and had since been seeking the post of mayor of Ganta before he was petitioned by district one citizens to run for representative in 2017.

Featured photo by Ken Harper/Together Liberia