Citizens transport dead body on bike

The deplorable state of roads across the country is taking a serious toll on ordinary citizens as most vehicles have stopped plying major highways in the interior, leaving commuters with no alternative, but to transport dead relatives on commercial bikes, currently the only means of transportation.

Such sad experience occurred over the weekend in Tappita, lower Nimba County where the dead body of a 68-year-oldman, was removed from the Jackson F. Doe Referral Hospital and transported to Grand Gedeh County on a commercial bike, bundled in plastic.

The late Daniel Cheayou was a resident of Toe Town, but had sought medication in Nimba where he died following protracted ailment. Families members insist they want the body of their late brother, husband and father taken back home for burial, and so they took the journey to Grand Gedeh with the decreased on a bike, riding on a muddy route.

Due to bad roads, the Jackson F. Doe Referral Hospital has not been able to receive supplies on time, including patients from across the country, neighboring Guinea and Ivory Coast. Some commuters, who spoke to The NewDawn along the Ganta-Tappita route, said they have been stranded for over a week without access to food and self-drinking water, among others.

The lack of passable roads has led to sharp increase in prices with a 25kg bag of imported rice being sold between LD1, 500 and LD2, 000.