Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudan’s interior ministry on Friday suspended traffic charges on vehicles with tinted windows and reversed a rule merging vehicle ownership and insurance documents, following a public outcry.
The order, issued by Acting Interior Minister Gen. Mangar Buong, cancels all fees for tinted windows pending further review. It also mandates that vehicle logbooks and insurance cards be processed as separate documents, undoing a recent merger.
The directive halts additional charges for converting vehicles to left-hand drive and removes requirements to take off vehicle doors until police provide new guidance.
The suspension responds to widespread criticism of traffic measures introduced recently by Maj. Gen. Kon John Akot, the director general of traffic police. Those measures included bans on tinted windows, right-hand drive vehicles and left-side sliding doors, alongside new fees for driving tests and document renewals.
Critics, including drivers, lawmakers and civil society groups, called the rules unlawful and financially burdensome in a country where many rely on driving taxis, minibuses and commercial vehicles for income.
Members of South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly argued that the traffic police had overstepped by imposing fees without legal authority, placing an undue burden on citizens.
Earlier in the week, Inspector General of Police Gen. Said Chawul Lom revoked most of the controversial directives. He kept only the tinted window ban, with exemptions for medical reasons, and said other elements — such as the ban on right-hand drive vehicles — would not be enforced unless parliament passes supporting legislation.
The South Sudan Bar Association threatened legal action against traffic police leadership over the rules and fees, forming a committee to represent affected motorists if needed.
Traffic regulation has been a recurring issue in South Sudan, where police cite security concerns for strict rules while drivers often complain of inconsistent enforcement and extortion.
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