Since schools reopened on Monday, 6th September, 2021 the school bus services have not been available for school going pupils in the Western Area.
In his wisdom to boost the Free Quality Education, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio brought in the cost recovery school bus system to reduce transportation burden on parents and pupils.
For fair play and efficient management of the buses, they were distributed to local councils all over the country. But due to in-fighting and allegations of massive corruption within the Freetown City Council, the school bus service is yet to resume.
School going pupils have to suffer the brunt of heartless commercial drivers who take a lot of money from them to and from school as transport fare. Some have to trek to and from school because they can’t afford to pay the exorbitant amount of money commercial transport drivers are demanding.
According to FCC sources, due to the dissolution of several committees within the FCC by Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyer since she returned from her vacation in the UK, the smooth operations of the school bus services have been disrupted.
Speaking to some pupils of the Annie Walsh Memorial School, who were battling it out with other commuters for a space in a public transport (Poda Poda) last evening, they said, “We are calling on the government to let those responsible bring back our buses, as we are suffering to commute to and from school every day”.
The FCC media unit could not be reached for comment last night.
