Wum-Bamenda road. Drivers agree to step down transport fare as new school year draws closer

Breaking

Jacob Zuma hails Burkina Faso as “hope for Africa’s liberation

Write comment (1 Comment)
Arrests, Assaults, and Fear Mark Cameroon’s Post-Election Crisis

Write comment (0 Comments)
Soyinka’s U.S. Visa Cancelled After Calling Trump “White Idi Amin”

Write comment (0 Comments)
Streets Reject Biya’s “Victory” Amid Western Media Whitewash

Write comment (0 Comments)
“I Am the Legitimate President,” Tchiroma Tells the Nation, Rejects PM Offer

Write comment (0 Comments)

Breaking

Details: Society

Drivers plying the wum-bamenda stretch of road that almost became impassable recently have reached an agreement with the mayor of Wum, Dighambong Anthony to step down passenger fare along the less than 80km road.

The fare is most likely to drop to 3500 down from 5000frs, we are told.

Last month when the road conditions became worse, drivers in Bamenda unilaterally stepped up transport fares despite protest from passengers.

Passengers have since been paying the collosal 5000frs until yesterday when the Mayor of Wum who is also president of all CPDM mayors in the north west virtually went cap- in -hand to plead with the drivers to step down the fare. He reportedly met with officials of the drivers union at the motor park at mile 8 Tuesday.

The decision to reduce the fare by the drivers has been saluted as it comes barely two weeks to school resumption. Many a parents had been worried on how their children will return to Wum with the poor state of the road.

Just yesterday, we gathered that horrible spots along the road had been filled with seawall rendering movement somewhat smooth .

The decision to step down the fare comes days after North west governor had banned heavy duty vehicles from plying the road. Trucks transporting sand from obang in bafut sub division are believed to be responsible for the bad state of road. The bafut council generates huge revenue from the activities of the truck drivers.

It is unclear who is in charge of maintaining the road though Hon Wallang Richard is being cited by some sources as the man responsible of putting the road in good shape.Hon wallang who is said to be in the US has since maintained sealed lips on the issue.

In the early 2000s , passengers paid 1000frs to get to Bamenda but the amount has since witnessed an astronomical increase due to the dilapidated nature of the road .

There are hopes the road might only be tarred with the coming of the Menchum falls dam which has provocatively been dragging too for pretty long.

The Wum Bamenda stretch of road is part of the ring road which Biya Paul, 84 promised to personally supervise its tarring over two decades ago.

Menchum and Donga Mantung are the only two divisions not linked to the regional headquarters Bamenda by tarred road.

Menchum has since 2007 been loyal to Biya's CPDM
party. In 2007 the division scored a 100% during the twin polls of that year. But as Mayor Dighambong Anthony whom I personally endear will put it" dividedness and infighting has prevented us from growing"