SLRSA Unveils Ambitious Reforms to Transform Road Safety Across Sierra Leone

With the leave of the Deputy Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), Board Secretary Abu-bakarr Sheriff Esq. delivered a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation highlighting the Authority’s key achievements, ongoing reforms, and persistent challenges during the Ministry of Transport and Aviation’s sector retreat.

Sheriff Esq. outlined the statutory mandate of the SLRSA and traced the institution’s evolution from a Road Transport Authority to a modern Road Safety Authority. He showcased major reforms, including the modernisation of MOT testing facilities in Freetown and Mile 38 through a Public Private Partnership with Autospect, with similar facilities expected soon in provincial towns.

He further cited the introduction of a highway management system for real-time crash response, a toll-free emergency line, a mobile licensing vehicle, a digital queuing system, a biometric driver’s licence capturing system, POS devices for on-the-spot fines, and the establishment of new SLRSA offices in Jui and Goderich. He added that new handheld devices have been deployed for tracking licensed and unlicensed vehicles nationwide.

Sheriff also spoke on the Authority’s planned relocation to its new headquarters on Africanus Road and praised strengthened interagency collaborations with NCRA, NEMS, WHO, RSLAF, SLP, INTERPOL, WANGOV, and the SMART KORPO payment platforms, which he said have significantly improved efficiency and turnaround time for SLRSA services.

Despite these achievements, he stressed that several institutional challenges remain. The SLRSA is still unrepresented on the Road Maintenance Fund Board and the Sierra Leone Roads Authority Board, while enforcement rivalry with the Sierra Leone Police and weaknesses in crash data collection persist. He also cited inadequate resources for training Road Safety Corps as paramedics, limited operational tools, and the nationwide lack of road signage as continuing obstacles.

The presentation was well-received, drawing applause and commendations from sister agencies. The Deputy Executive Director, Josie Abraham Scott-Manga joined by Directors of Human Resource; Safety and Enforcement; Audit, and other senior management staff expressed confidence that under the leadership of Executive Director James Bagie Bio, the SLRSA will continue to position itself as the premier agency within the Ministry of Transport and Aviation.