Taxi drivers on strike

Taxi drivers in Sierra Leone went on strike on Monday, bringing the  capital to a standstill after police jailed 100 of their colleagues for driving with bald tyres, broken lights or without a valid licence.

Police launched "Operation About-Turn" in towns around the West African country two weeks ago after a rise in complaints about taxi drivers in decrepit cars and minibuses running over pedestrians and crashing into other vehicles and buildings.

"A total of about 90 cases of hit-and-run have been reported to the police in Freetown. Apart from hitting pedestrians, there are reports of drivers hitting state property on the highway," police spokesman Umaru Seasay said. (read more)