MONROVIA, Montserrado – The government of Liberia has provided clarifications on reports that it has lifted the restriction on commercial motorcyclists traveling along routes identified as “no-go zones” in Montserrado. The Liberia National Police maintains that not all restrictions have been relaxed.

On Saturday, news that the ban on motorcyclists traveling along major roads such as Tubman Boulevard had been lifted spread on social media, and cyclists rejoiced, plying unrestrictedly across major streets and communities.

Jerry Fahn, a commercial motorcyclist in Paynesville, told The Bush Chicken that he believed that the restrictions have been lifted on all motorcyclists. According to Fahn, the lifting of the ban was a decision of the Police Inspector General Patrick Sudue, in consultation with President George Weah.

“George Weah is the common people’s president, so it is our time to be free and enjoy,” he said.

The report, however, was receiving huge criticisms from the public, as many expressed fear that giving commercial motorcyclists free rein to travel along all major roads would increase road accidents in the cities.

Rufina Thompson, a marketer in Redlight, expressed a fear that crime rates would increase if motorcyclists could travel along any streets at any time.

“In the past when cyclists could ride anywhere at any time, cyclists became accomplices for street criminals and robbers,” Thomson said.

But the spokesman for the Liberia National Police, Woods Nyanton, told ELBC on Monday that the restrictions were relaxed only on Saturday to allow motorcyclists in Montserrado to converge at the Samuel Kanyan Doe Sports Complex to meet with the new inspector general.

Nyanton said following the meeting with the commercial motorcyclists, heads of motorcyclist unions pleaded with Sudue lift the bans on the restricted zones for commercialists.

He said as a way of communicating the government’s pro-poor agenda through the police, Sudue had accepted the request to relax the bans on a few of the restricted zones in Montserrado. The routes include along Tubman Boulevard from Redlight to ELWA Junction, and along Somalia Drive from Redlight to Freeport.

“Beside those two areas, the other 11 no-go zones are still intact,” he emphasized. “All of those areas, the restrictions remain, and it will be enforced by the LNP.”

“Anyone caught violating these restrictions would be held by the law,” Nyanton said.

At the same time, he said the police is concerned about reports of motorcyclists being involved in robberies and snatching phones and other belongings of individuals. He said the police has made some arrests and forwarded suspects for prosecution.

He said the act is considered a crime and warned that anyone caught would be arrested, charged, and prosecuted.

A release issued by authorities of the Ministry of Information also disclosed that under the new measures, no operator of motorcycles is allowed to carry more than one passenger along areas where the restrictions were lifted.

It also disclosed that the 10:00 p.m. curfew restriction would remain enforced by the Liberia National Police.

The restrictions were instituted by the previous administration as a measure to reduce crimes and road accidents.

Featured photo by Gbatemah Senah