Liberia: NTA To Extend Services to RiverCess and Sinoe Counties, Sets Ambitious Plan Of 250 Buses

Monrovia – In an ambitious plan, the National Transit Authority (NTA), is nearing routing to Cestos City in River Cess County and Greenville, Sinoe County when things work well, Managing Director Edmund Forh has announced.

---

By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway

---

NTA is the Government of Liberia’s state-owned public transport company responsible for affordable mass transit. Rooted in the Monrovia Transit Authority (MTA), the entity was created in 1977 as a department of the Monrovia City Corporation to serve Monrovia residents. However, the National Legislature passed the NTA Act in 2007 and former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf signed it into law on March in 2009.

River Cess And Sinoe In Sight

Speaking Thursday, October 1, 2026 when he appeared on the OK Morning Rush on OK FM, MD Forth stated that plans are underway to extend its services beyond with the two counties, River Cess and Sinoe, which have been neglected in the past being considered in the new agenda.

If all goes well, Forth explained that services will be extended to the southern and southeastern counties in the upcoming dry season.

NTA’s mandate is to establish and implement an efficient national transit system to ensure safe, dependable transportation of people and goods within and outside Liberia at reasonable cost, and to acquire, equip and maintain buses.

Accordingly, the NTA boss indicated that the planned expansion is in line with its sacred mandates as enshrined in the Act that created the entity.

But while the first every trips to River Cess and Sinoe are pending, the NTA boss announced a new routing route to two of Lofa’s main cities; Voinjama and Zorzor.

“By the coming dry season or so, we will be going to River and even Sinoe Counties. We are thinking about moving beyond. We are about to go Lofa and the fare from Monrovia to Voinjama will be L$2,500, while from Monrovia to Zorzor would be L$1,500,”disclosed MD Forth.

Bus Terminals Construction & Renovation

Speaking to some developmental initiatives that have been earmarked, he disclosed that** d**iscussions are underway to build bus terminals across the country, while there are also plans to renovate the terminals that were previously built and damaged.

When completed, he pointed out that all buses will route through the terminals as a means of ensuring passengers’ safety.

“We have secured a land space in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County to construct one there. The goal is to enable swapping of passengers, which is why more terminals are needed.

Security and Search Policy

At the same time, the NTA Managing Director informed the public of measures being put in place to curtail the transportation of prohibited items such as firearms, drugs etc on the NTA buses.

This, he indicated, is done through proper search procedures while passengers are boarding the buses and getting their luggage.

Operations and Safety

The head of the public transport service also narrated that Management is training and engaging drivers due to many complaints received, to move in line with the requisite speed limit.

In a bid to achieving that, he noted that NTA is currently working with a speed management company to control speed, perhaps at 80km/h.

Internet Service

In what stems out to be a very important public information, Forth let Liberians know of pilot testing of internet on one of the buses has just been completed and will be replicated on other buses.

Fleet Challenges and Target

With only 65 to 70 buses currently available, Forth says the entity needs about 250 buses to adequately serve the Liberian public. He pointed out that the current is far below that target of meeting the need of Liberians.

Also, MD Forh mentioned that one of the Authority’s biggest operational challenge remains the unavailability of spare parts in-country. “Even when money is available, procurement takes time because parts are not here. That keeps many of our buses grounded for long periods,” he explained.

Driver Recruitment and Gender Inclusion

On gender inclusion, the NTA boss revealed that the Authority is making a deliberate push to recruit more female drivers.

Forth lamented that of 10 female applicants, one has already passed the recruitment test while nine others are currently undergoing training, with some paired with experienced drivers to gain traffic experience.

Human Capacity Building

Addressing human capacity, Deputy Managing Director for Operations, Noah Z. Gibson, who phoned in during the show, asserted that upon taking over, nearly 60 percent of NTA staff were below high school level.

To address this, Noah furthered that the management has sent several staff to the Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC) with 100 percent tuition paid by NTA.

He added that efforts are underway to enroll more staff at the Liberia Institute of Certified Public Accountants (LiCPA) for professional development.

Still on the issue of capacity building, MD Forth accentuated that the Authority has also established an Occupational and Safety Department.

On long-range plans, Forth among other things stated that NTA is developing a destination plan for mini-buses to enhance intra-city movement, constructing a Guest House project, and in the long term, plans to operate ambulance services under the NTA.