MONROVIA: The Ministry of Transport (MOT), has disclosed plans to undertake registration and inspection of vehicles nationwide.
Making the disclosure at a news conference Friday, Transport Minister Sirleaf R. Tyler said, a team of MOT officials has been caring out assessment in Nimba and Margibi Counties for two weeks and they are moving to Bong and Grand Bassa Counties.
He added that other MOT team is expected to travel to southeastern region this week to continue the assessment, leading to MOT establishing permanent offices in each of the 15 political subdivisions of Liberia.
According to Minister Tyler, the goal is to cover all the 15 counties by the end of October this year.
He indicated that lessons from the assessment exercise will help the Ministry to establish permanent presence in all the 15 counties next year.
Minister Tyler said he was grateful to the Liberian leader President Joseph N. Boakai and the Liberian Legislature for supporting the MOT decentralization initiatives.
“This is necessary because this decentralization initiatives will help greatly to bring the Transport Ministry closer to the citizens and make it easier to serve them,” he said.
The Minister said in practical terms, MOT will have offices in the counties from where people will have the opportunity to register their various vehicles, motorcycles as well as tricycles and other transport equipment while residents and citizens will also be able to apply for, and obtain driver licenses in the counties.
“Additionally, we will mandate the insurance companies to move their operations into the counties to enable them provide better services across the country,” Minister Tyler said.
He stressed that decentralization is valuable but, it will take them time to get there.
For now, MOT is beginning the journey and will continue to work hard to achieve these objectives.
He pointed out that, under the first phase, they will assess conditions on the ground, conduct a survey to understand the demand by the MOT services in each of the counties and carryout inspection and mobile registration.
“As you know, we have been doing our best to contribute to the national budget so that the government can provide better services, for this reason, expansion of our services will enhance revenue generation, but in all that we do, MOT remains our primary goal,” he noted.
Minister Tyler used the occasion to congratulate the government of Liberia for supporting its nationwide registration and inspection of vehicles nationwide something will ensure that only vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles that licensed and insured ply the road.
“We have done a good job with inspections in Monrovia and that effort is benefiting the public but Monrovia is not Liberia therefore, the opportunity to bring other parts of Liberia onboard is something that excites us he noted.”
He also asked for the support of all stakeholders including local government officials transport union, civil society organizations and the citizenry in their effort to carry out this task.
