CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia – The House of Representatives has taken decisive action to halt all operations by the Liberia Traffic Management (LTM) pending a full-scale investigation and review of the agreement.
By Emmanuel M. Weedee-Conway
The decision followed several hours of leadership meeting and protest by aggrieved employees of the Ministry of Transport and collaborating drivers and transport unions.
The meeting, which was held on Monday, August 4, 2025, comes on the heel of a petition by aggrieved workers of the Ministry of Transport, which called for immediate suspension of operations by the LTM. The move comes amid growing concerns over the legality and transparency surrounding the concession agreement between LTM and the Government.
In a message delivered by House Press Director, Robert Haynes, to hundreds of protesters on the grounds of the Capitol and subsequently in an interview with FrontPage Africa, he explained that the House leadership decision is an outcome of a report by the House Joint Committee on Concession and Transport.
According to him, the Plenary of the House had earlier instructed its Joint Committee on Concessions and Transport to investigate the workers’ complaints and provide recommendations.
“The Plenary mandated the Joint Committee on Concessions and Transport to look into the petition submitted by the aggrieved employees of the Ministry of Transport. Following that, the Joint Committee reported to the leadership with key recommendations,” said Mr/ Haynes.
Among the recommendations, the House leadership has communicated with the Executive Branch, urging it to immediately halt the operations of LTM pending a full-scale review and investigation of the company’s concession agreement.
“The report recommends that the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police be mandated to work alongside the Ministry of Transport to enforce the Liberia Motor Vehicle and Traffic Laws and that a stay order be placed on the operations of Liberia Traffic Management while the Ministry of Transport resumes its statutory functions.”
The House leadership in its Monday’s meeting endorsed the committee’s report, signaling legislative support for a temporary freeze on LTM’s traffic management activities across the country.
This development follows weeks of public criticism and internal ministry unrest over LTM’s role in traffic enforcement, with claims that its operations overlap and undermine the statutory duties of the Ministry of Transport and Liberia National Police.
The Ministry of Transport has now been instructed to resume its full statutory responsibilities immediately, while the investigation into LTM’s concession deal unfolds.
Accordingly, during the protest, the protesters held placards with different inscriptions and chanted different slogans calling for the cancelling of what they termed as a ‘bogus agreement.’
Several drivers who joined the protest cried out over the constant issuance of ‘big money’ tickets by the LTM, something which according to them, continues to make life unbearable for them.
“We are not motivated by any politician. Our protest is void of politics. But the purpose of this gathering is to seek justice from our lawmakers and our President. We had our first meeting and our petition was given to the Legislature. We are not against government’s policies, but policies that are against our people,” stated Omaru A. Fofanah, President of the Collaborating Transport Union.
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