The Traders’ Union in Rumbek town of Lakes State says that more than 200 commercial trucks that were stranded along the Wulu-Rumbek and Mundri-Mvolo roads arrived in Rumbek town over the weekend.
After flash floods early this month, the road, which connects Juba to Western Equatoria, Lakes, Western Bahr El-Ghazal, Northern El-Ghazal, and Warrap was cut off in Mundri West county county of Western Equatoria State. The rains washed away parts of the road and created huge potholes making it impossible for trucks to move.
In an interview with the Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Jima Gar Maluac, the chairperson of the Traders Union in Rumbek, said around 400-500 commercial vehicles are still in Ambara between Mvolo and Mundri counties of Western Equatoria State.
Gar said some of the trucks have proceeded to deliver goods to Kuajok in Warrap State, Wau in Western Bahr el Ghazal State and Aweil in Northern Bahr el Ghazal states after the local authorities fixed the potholes along the roads.
He appeals to the state government to renovate the road or contract another company to repair the road to ease the transportation of goods and people.
“The African Resource Construction Company (ARC) is just on the road and they are not helping at all to repair the road. The national government should look for another road construction company to do the maintenance of the road if ARC is not able to do it,” he said.
For his part, Rumbek Municipality Mayor Peter Maliap Chieny said that more commercial vehicles have managed to cross to Rumbek and the maintenance of the road between Rumbek and Wulu is ongoing.
According to him, the road has been accessible for both private and commercial vehicles in the last two days.
Awoul Malual, Lakes State roads minister said about 150 vehicles that were stuck along the Wulu-Rumbek roads have so far crossed the road to Rumbek town after spending weeks on the road linking Lakes State and Western Equatoria State.
“The vehicles that got stuck on the muddy road for the last two weeks because of the bad condition of the road have finally crossed the muddy road after fixing and maintaining the Wulu to Rumbek roads on Friday,” he said. “Now, the vehicles started to move after a local roads construction company contracted by Lakes State government completed the renovation work along Wulu-Rumbek roads.”
He adds, “We tried to open up the road from Rumbek to Wulu that was blocked within the last 2 weeks to allow over 150 vehicles that were stranded and now we have opened up that road and vehicles are now moving.”
Minister Malual explained that the highway linking Lakes and Western Equatoria State is now accessible and vehicles are moving freely.