By: Sulaiman Aruna Sesay
Using the streets of Freetown, Sierra Leone, as garages is a prevalent practice in the city. Several reasons make this practice unsustainable and detrimental to the city’s infrastructure and well-being.
Using the streets as garages limits the already limited road space available in Freetown. The city’s roads are narrow, and most are not designed to accommodate parking or storage of vehicles. 
As a result, parking or storing cars on the streets leads to traffic congestion and gridlock, reducing the efficiency of the streets and the mobility of people and goods. For instance, in the Eastern part of Freetown ‘Old Road’ in particular, is too narrow to accommodate vehicles in the streets. People from that end are faced with constraints using the streets freely and accessibly.
Moreover, using the streets as garages contributes to environmental pollution in the city. The parked vehicles produce fumes and emit harmful gases that pollute the air, making it hazardous for people with respiratory ailments. Additionally, the oil and other chemicals from parked cars could leak into the soil and affect the quality of drinking water.
Meanwhile, using the streets of Freetown as garages creates a dangerous environment for pedestrians and other road users. The parked cars obstruct visibility, leading to increased accidents and injuries on the roads. The streets are also becoming crime-prone as car Owners Park in unsecured areas, leaving their vehicles and valuables vulnerable to theft.
Using the streets as garages is a violation of the law. The Sierra Leone Road Traffic Act prohibits parking or storing vehicles in prohibited areas and obstructing traffic flow. Anyone found engaging in such practices is liable to arrest, prosecution, and penalty.
In conclusion, people should stop using the streets of Freetown, Sierra Leone, as garages to alleviate road congestion, reduce environmental pollution, improve safety, and comply with the law. The government should enforce the provisions of the Road Traffic Act, establish designated parking areas, and promote public transportation alternatives to reduce reliance on personal vehicles.
