By Ragan M. Conteh
The fuel issue is still holding Sierra Leoneans to ransom as people especially vehicle owners now find it extremely difficult to have access to fuel.
Two weeks ago, Sierra Leone was hit- hard by the scarcity of fuel in the country as many business operations halted due to the fuel shortage.
Government promised to bring enough fuel into the country, but it is still not enough for the general public.
On Wednesday 22 May 2024, the Kono District Bike Riders Union reportedly staged a protest by refusing to operate due to the critical fuel shortage exacerbated by local fuel stations’ indiscriminate sale of fuel.
Reports reaching this medium state that these fuel stations have opted to sell fuel exclusively to street vendors rather than to sell it directly to the Bike Riders or the general public.
The report further revealed that this decision has led to an artificial scarcity of fuel, forcing consumers to purchase fuel at significantly inflated prices from street vendors, who charge as much as NLe50 per litre.
The Bike Riders rely heavily on affordable fuel to conduct their daily business and they have found this situation unbearable.
The inflated prices imposed by the street vendors severely impacted their earnings and livelihoods. As a result, they have ceased operations to draw the attention of the authorities concerned in order to salvage their plights and are calling for government’s intervention.
The Bike Riders in Kono District are calling on government to address this issue urgently. They stated that the current situation is unfair and unsustainable, thus creating an unnecessary economic burden on them and the general populace.
They urged the government to ensure that fuel stations do sell fuel directly to all consumers at reasonable prices, thereby curbing the exploitative practices of street vendors and alleviating the artificial scarcity of fuel in the district.