Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Transitional National Legislative Assembly is making a move to question the Interior Minister over the newly introduced traffic regulations and fees imposed by the Traffic Police Department, declaring them as illegal and unjustified burden on citizens.
During a heated parliamentary session, lawmakers said the measures contradict laws enacted by parliament and were introduced without legal authority.
Members of parliament said the directives, issued by the Director of Traffic Police, Major General Kon John Akot, introduced new charges for driving tests and changed the renewal periods for vehicle registration logbooks and driving licenses, in violation of existing laws.
Mayom County MP Jiel Thow accused the Traffic Police leadership of imposing measures aimed at extorting money from the public.
He criticized the introduction of a mandatory “driving test certificate” that applies even to holders of valid driving licenses and must be renewed every six months, describing the move as unlawful and widely opposed by lawmakers and human rights activists.
Thow further stated that the Traffic Police Director violated a parliamentary amendment passed two years ago, which made vehicle registration logbooks permanent rather than subject to annual renewal.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Security and Public Order, Samuel Pochori Loti, said the Traffic Police continue to operate under outdated “New Sudan” regulations signed during the era of the late national leader Dr. John Garang, despite the adoption of new traffic laws.
Loti accused the Traffic Police Director of openly defying the law, noting that the inclusion of insurance details in traffic records effectively reintroduces annual renewal requirements.
“What we are facing is actually complete intransigent from the director General of traffic because we passed that the logbook is un renewable, what he went behind, in the same logbook they put insurance in it and you are supposed to renew insurance every year.
“In the other way when you are going to renew insurance, you are going to renew the logbook. We aksed for clarification on this and the minister even didn’t answer.
He added that the Minister of Interior has failed to respond to parliamentary requests for clarification and revealed that the Traffic Police are still operating under legislation enacted in 2003.
Speaking during the session, the Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba, said the traffic regulations currently being enforced do not reflect decisions made by parliament.
She described the situation as a heavy burden on citizens, saying that new rules appear to be introduced on a daily basis without a clear legal foundation
“Where does it “the driving test” after three months come from, asked Speaker Kumba.
“This one, the ministry of interior should answer for this, isn’t it. So, the Minister of Interior will come and answer for this because this thing is too much on the citizens. The citizens are already suffering and you can not add more suffering.”
Nunu Kumba emphasized that parliament is responsible for approving revenue sources each year and determining what the Traffic Police are authorized to collect.
She reiterated that parliament approved a policy ending the annual renewal of vehicle registration logbooks, stating that they should be issued once and remain valid until ownership of the vehicle changes, warning that any deviation from this policy is unlawful.
On driving licenses, she confirmed that parliament approved a five-year renewal period.
The Speaker called for the Minister of Interior to be questioned, saying that the continued enforcement of these requirements would worsen the hardship already faced by citizens.
She also raised concerns over increasing and inconsistent requirements, including permits for tinted vehicle windows, adding that the parliament will resolve the issue and holding those responsible to account.
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