Freetown’s Lungi International
Airport lies some distance from the capital, separated from it by the mouth of
the Sierra Leone River, so one of the first things air passengers have to do on
landing is decide whether to take the helicopter, hovercraft, ferry or pirogues
across to Aberdeen or Government Wharf.
“None of the options for
transferring between the international airport at Lungi and Freetown is
risk-free” reports the British Foreign Office soberly. It continues: “Foreign
and Commonwealth Office staff operate a policy of informed choice and use all
of the transport options available with the exception of local boats/pirogues”.
Its lengthy recommendations and caveats are perhaps best summed up with the
phrase ‘crossy fingers’. But it’s clear from what is written that local water
transport is considered the riskiest option of all.
Forget the local boats and travel on the new highway between Lungi and
Freetown instead
This opinion is unlikely to
change unless a motorbike taxi service is introduced. Out of the main forms of
transportation available to the public, motorcycling comes out as by far the worst
however the statisticians choose to record the data. There are those who
dissent from the mainstream with the website wiki answers stating “the most
dangerous form of transport is by far wife riding, [they] will get extremely
angry and unstable if transport is used for extended periods of time”.
While motorcycling/wife riding
are considered the most dangerous of transport options, air travel is most
often cited as the safest. Looking at the statistics, it’s fair to conclude no
one actually dies from air accidents (817 people of roughly 2 billion in 2008;
or 0.00004%). With about 1 million deaths worldwide from car accidents, both trains
and buses are generally considered to be significantly safer. Needless to say,
a fatal accident is more likely in any form of transport in a less developed
country.
Transport by dhow, and other forms of boat, are not recommended
Ferries and other forms of water
transport are indeed often thought of as the most dangerous forms of
transportation in the developing world, the hazards covering almost every
aspect of boating from poor training to overcrowding. Sadly, cycling and
walking are also some of the riskier transportation options, almost exclusively
from the existence of cars.
Popping out to the corner shop
for a pint of milk? The stats say it’s best to fly.