Liberia: Saclepea Residents Embrace NTA Services But

Residents of Saclepea and its surrounding towns and villages have expressed delight in the arrival of National Transit Authority (NTA) services to the centrally located city in Nimba, which began over two weeks ago.

The residents praised the authority of NTA and the national government for allowing the buses to start services to the city which, according to them, will curtail transportation costs from there to Monrovia.

Despite the praises and delightful connection of the services of NTA in Saclepea, the citizens are complaining of the high cost of transportation fares charged by the NTA bus.

Martha Konah, a commuter, said the coming of the buses to Saclepea is good, but the fare is no different when riding on a taxi or any commercial car from Saclepea to Monrovia.

She alleged the conductor or driver charges passengers for a piece of items they traveled with, excluding the actual bus fare. 

“We are happy, but the fare is high,” said another lady.

The NTA began services to Saclapea about two weeks ago with an initial fare of L$700 from Saclepea to Monrovia, but suddenly an increment was made carrying the fare to L$850, which raised eyebrows among commuters.

The NTA is yet to comment on the sudden increment in the fare, but the City Mayor of Saclepea Mr. Jeremiah Nyagean had been giving justification, saying that the fare was taken into consideration based on the fares of commercial motorcycles and vehicles between Ganta and Saclepea.

City Mayor Nyagean is saying the L$850 charged on the bus, excluding load fees, was necessary compared to the combined transportations from Saclepea to Ganta on private commercial car or motorcycle, plus fares from Ganta to Monrovia on NTA.

From Saclepea to Ganta is L$500 on a motorcycle, something many believed that the fare should be at L$500 or L$600 on the NTA.

In Ganta, commuters are complaining that conductors on NTA are using the little to exploit them by collecting huge money from luggage, an allegation the NTA denied.

“NTA conductor gives preference to those with loads, if you don't have any load your chances of boarding the bus are low,” said Janet Biah, one of the commuters.

“Despite the L$350 from Ganta to Monrovia, we sometimes paid over L$1000 for load, depending on the type of load you are carrying,” said one James as he was struggling to get his way through.

Already the NTA bus is running between Ganta and Monrovia for L$350, while other commercial cars including taxis charge L$1,500 per passenger and L$750 on mini buses.