Background

Photo Credit: NTA

The National Transit Authority (NTA) was established in the city of Monrovia, by the Government of Liberia through legislative enactment on September 11, 2008 and approved into law by Her Excellency President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on March 24, 2009.  The NTA has its root in the erstwhile Monrovia Transit Authority (MTA), created in 1977 as a department of the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) to provide affordable mass transit service to the residents of Monrovia.

The government under the leadership of Her Excellency Madam Sirleaf envisioned that to holistically address the challenge of poverty in Liberia it was important to decentralize governance and all services appertaining there from.  Hence, affordable public transportation for Liberians was identified as one of the areas for strategic intervention.

In October, 2011 with a generous donation by the Government of India of 25 Ashok Leyland Falcon buses, the Government of Liberia officially launched its mass transit services for the people of Liberia.  This donation was soon followed by the purchase of additional 8 new buses by the Government to further augment NTA’s capacity to extend access to mass transit services for our people.

Significantly, the remodeling of the MTA into the NTA seeks to decentralize the provision of affordable, convenient and reliable mass transit services to citizens throughout the length and breadth of our country.  The government is confident this policy would facilitate the safe movement of people and goods within and out of the country at affordable cost and would further expand and enhance our national development agenda – to reduce poverty, create more jobs and stimulate domestic trade and commerce.

The framers envisaged that the NTA will grow into a viable and sustainable public transportation outlet for the people of Liberia.  It is also expected that the NTA shall endeavor overtime to establish subsidiaries in other parts of the country as and when appropriate and shall encourage private participation of small, medium and large transport companies to promote an efficient and effective mass transit system in Liberia.