Yarpah Town, River Cess County – Commuters traveling between Grand Bassa and River Cess Counties are stranded for the past three days due to deplorable road condition which leaves vehicles stuck in deep muddy potholes for several days.
From Buchanan to Yarpah Town – a major commercial town in River Cess County – is 61 kilometers, which would take one hour thirty minutes plying on a normal road. But it now takes commuters two to four days now that the rainy season in Liberia has reached its peak – causing laterite roads to depreciate. Many of these dirt roads are poorly maintain although heavy vehicles including logging trucks use it all year round.
In district four, Grand Bassa County, about 33 kilometers from the county’s capital Buchanan, lies a very deep pothole filled with muddy water in the middle of the road. This causes huge traffic and leaves more than 20 cars stuck daily. This is a major route to the south east Liberia.
LocalVoicesLiberia reporter over the weekend saw several cars including trucks, jeeps, and smaller cars carrying over a hundred passengers to the southeast stuck in the mud.The drivers and passengers had cut palm logs to support their cars cross the mud when a yellow machine arrived to help remove vehicles from the mud.
The drivers and passengers had cut palm logs to support their cars cross through the muddy potholes when a yellow machine arrived to help.A truck driver only identified as Saygbay said his vehicle has been stuck in the mud for three days. His passengers were left stranded and he has little faith that the yellow machine would rescue stranded vehicles.“
One truck driver only identified as Saygbay said his vehicle has been stuck in the mud for three days, adding that his passengers were left stranded and he had little faith that the yellow machine would rescue the stranded vehicles.
Before electing them, they presented platforms that motivated us, we saw all our needs in their platforms, but they were only using us for their own benefits. Election is coming again, but we have learned our lessons.” – a stranded truck driver.
“This same machine came here yesterday and could not help us, that is why we have to cut these palm trees to fix the road ourselves,” Saygbay said. `
Several angry passengers expressed disappointment in the government for paying less attention to roads in Southeastern Liberia.“All my goods I’m carrying to Sinoe finished
“All my goods I’m carrying to Sinoe [county] finished spoiling because no house around here and the rain continues to fall since we got here the day before yesterday,” Mary Nagbe explains. “If the Government had time for us from this side, they could have fixed this road ever since.”
Between June and December of every year, counties in southeastern Liberia are often cut-off from most parts of the country due to the deplorable condition of roads.
Many people in these counties blame government including lawmakers for the situation, accusing them of poor representation at the legislature although “they are reaping hefty salaries and benefits”.
As the 2017 elections near, Liberians in these counties challenged by bad roads are again concern about the future of road connectivity.
Some of them say this will be a major factor that may influence their decision at the poll on October 10.
“Before electing them, they presented platforms that motivated us, we saw all our needs in their platforms, but they were only using us for their own benefits,” one driver said, adding, “Election is coming again, but we have learned our lessons.”
Report by: Eric Opa Doue