The Liberia National Police has temporarily suspended restrictions on the No-Go Zone for Bike and keh-keh riders, influenced by the intervention of Solidarity and Trust for A New Day (STAND), the civil society group.
According to a release from STAND, the group had earlier on Thursday, May 9, planned a meeting with the leaders of bike and keh-keh riders at STAND’s headquarters in Congo Town. As representatives of the bike and keh-keh community gathered, the release said, “a squad of officers from the Liberia National Police, under the command of Inspector General Gregory Coleman, arrived on the scene” in what Morlu described as a hostile manner, “attempting to disrupt the meeting, which nearly erupted into chaos, save for the swift peaceful intervention of STAND’s Advocate General, Mulbah K. Morlu.”
According to the release, Morlu’s timely intervention prevented escalation and he expressed gratitude to bike and keh-keh riders for their cooperation in maintaining peace and harmony.
Despite the Liberia National Police announcing a three-month suspension of the No-Go zone, STAND proceeded with its scheduled meeting with biker and keh-keh riders as was planned.
However, STAND maintains its stance that the government’s imposition of a No-Go zone policy, which restricts bike and keh-keh riders, is unconstitutional and deprives tens of thousands of Liberians of their fundamental right to freedom of movement.
STAND recommended that instead of enforcing an arbitrary no-go zone, which infringes on the rights of Liberians, the police should establish a system of accountability for bike and keh-keh riders, which will ensure violators be prosecuted in accordance with the rule of law.
