By Davida Spaine Solomon
Freetown, 5th February 2026- Hope briefly returned to parents and schoolchildren in Freetown this week after city authorities announced that the long-idle school buses would resume operations. But days later, many students say the buses promised on paper are still largely absent from the roads.
On Tuesday, 3rd February 2026, Truth Media reported mounting concerns from families after buses meant to support the government’s Free Quality Education programme suddenly stopped operating. Parents described the daily struggle of rising transport fares, overcrowded vehicles, and children arriving late to school.
The report prompted swift assurances from city authorities. Later that day, Chief Administrator Rahman Tom Farma announced that the buses would resume operations on Wednesday, 4th February.
Freetown was allocated 12 buses under the national programme. Yet when services were expected to restart, pupils across several schools reported seeing only two buses in circulation.
“We were happy when we heard the buses would return, but we only saw two today,” one group of students said.
Pressed for answers, Farma later claimed six buses had resumed operations and promised the remaining fleet would join by Thursday, 5th February. But on Thursday morning, students and parents continued to report otherwise.
This reporter observed just one bus in service, while another sat idle at the Youyi Building compound.
The gap between official assurances and the reality on the ground has left families disillusioned.
“We were told the buses are back, but most of them are not on the road,” a student remarked quietly.
When asked about long-term plans to ensure consistent operations, including funding for fuel and maintenance, the Chief Administrator declined to comment.
For parents who depend on the buses to get their children safely to school, the partial return has offered little relief. With transport costs climbing and attendance at risk, many are demanding transparency and sustainable solutions rather than temporary announcements.
As the school community waits for the full fleet to return, one question echoes across Freetown: are the buses truly back, or only back in official statements?
