Sierra Leone Government, (Ministry of Transport and Aviation) is finalizing arrangement for the shipment of 100 Buses to Sierra Leone, following last year’s signing of a contract between the ministry and China Poly Group Corporation for the supply of the said buses.
The (100) one hundred Buses, which have been manufactured by Zhongtong Buses, in the People’s Republic of China, are expected in Sierra Leone at anytime from now, as arrangements are now being made by China Poly Group Corporation, with shipping agencies for possible shipment to Sierra Leone.
As part of the contract entered into between the ministry and China Poly Group Corporation, a three man delegation from Sierra Leone, led by the General Manager of the Sierra Leone Roads Transport Cooperation, Bockarie Lewis Kamara is presently in Liaocheng City, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China, conducting a Pre-Delivery Assessment of the manufactured Buses, with specific attention to materials, components and construction procedures of the buses .
The team, also including a Consultant from the Sierra Leone Roads and Safety Authority, Engineer Lamin A. Koroma, and Alfred Johnny, Head of Workshop, SLRTA, on Friday, 20th March, commenced with a general assessment of the Production Facilities of Zhongtong Bus, in Liaocheng City, Shandong Province, taking a comprehensive appraisal of the materials used in the manufacturing of Buses, Suspension Frames and Body Structure of Buses manufactured.
The three man delegation also looked at the Electrical Components and Fittings for Buses, preparation of the bodies of Buses, from welding to spraying which is done by electrolytic methods and robots in the finishing stages.
The team also toured the finished products of the 100 buses manufactured for the Sierra Leone Government, and which are now destined for shipment to the country in the coming months.
Consultant from the Sierra Leone Roads and Safety Authority, Engineer Lamin A. Koroma, disclosed “as per the assessment during the first day, the work done by the Manufacturers was impressive and the manufacturing requirements as per contract signed were met.”
General Manager, SLRTC, Bockarie Lewis Kamara, giving an overview, said, “the Manufacturers went by the technical specification “ which takes into account value for money and upholding safety proposals like sitting capacity and number of doors in each Bus”, whilst assuring, that a comprehensive opinion on the manufactured Buses is expected from the Consultant Engineer.
The Buses, Kamara said, will help take Sierra Leone to the next stage of meeting the needs of her citizens especially in the area of Public Transportation, as mandated by the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation Act, 1964.
In 2014, Sierra Leone’s Transport Minister, Leonard Koroma described the signing of the contract between his ministry and Poly Group Technology in the People’s Republic of China for the supply of the 100 buses to the SLRTC as one that will go a long way in easing the transportation problem facing not just the capital city of Freetown, but the entire country.
The 100 buses are expected to help in addressing problems with City Service, Airport Shuttle, Provincial Trips and transportation challenges facing Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.
Minister Leonard Koroma, speaking on the phone from the United Kingdom, expressed his desire in seeing the arrival of the Buses in Sierra Leone, in line with his ministry’s mandate of meeting public needs in the transport sector, thus supporting Sierra Leone’s development growth.
John Baimba Sesay
Information Attaché-PR China
BESTWESTERN Royal Run Hotel
Liaocheng City, Shandong Province
