Businesspeople in Buah Geeken and surrounding communities have expressed frustration over deplorable road conditions along the River Gee–Geeken corridor and the stretch between Buah Iron Bridge and Norkwia, saying the situation is causing significant financial losses and disrupting commercial activities.
Washington D. Senyon, a businessman based in Buah Geeken, said he had lost goods valued at more than L$200,000 due to the poor road conditions.
He explained that trucks transporting goods sometimes spend between two and three weeks on the road, resulting in delays, damage to merchandise, and additional transportation costs.
Senyon said the prolonged delays have created serious challenges for businesspeople who depend on the roads to transport essential commodities to local markets.
Similarly, Alphonso Nynneh, another businessman in Buah Geeken, disclosed that several goods, including 25 bags of sugar and other merchandise, were damaged because of the deplorable road conditions.
The two businessmen told journalists that the situation has significantly affected the movement of trucks and other vehicles along the River Gee–Geeken road corridor amid ongoing government rehabilitation works.
According to them, the disruption has forced business operators to rely on alternative transportation arrangements, with goods transported from Monrovia to Pleebo in Maryland County and subsequently moved from Pleebo toward Barclayville and Geeken.
They said the alternative arrangements have substantially increased transportation expenses, placing additional pressure on businesses already struggling with the difficult road conditions.
The businesspeople acknowledged the importance of the ongoing road rehabilitation but called for measures to ease transportation challenges and minimize losses while the work continues.
They also urged the relevant authorities to consider the concerns of traders and other road users whose livelihoods depend on the movement of goods between communities in Grand Kru, Maryland, and River Gee counties.
The affected businesspeople warned that continued transportation difficulties could further increase the cost of goods and negatively affect commercial activities and the availability of essential commodities in the area.
