The traffic police department in Yambio, Western Equatoria State, on Tuesday, launched an operation to crack down on motorcycles and vehicles with no number plates.
The move aims to reduce the rising cases of accidents caused mostly by unregistered and unlicensed motorcyclists.
Colonel Santo Arkangelo Ginana, the director of administration and finance of the traffic police in Western Equatoria State, told Radio Tmazuj Tuesday morning that his office has registered 53 accidents caused by motorcycles in the space of 7 days in Yambio town.
“Just in the last 7 days, we registered 53 cases of accidents in Yambio and most of those involved in the accidents ride numberless motorcycles. When they knock down a person, they run away and it becomes hard to trace the bike because it has no number plate,” he explained. “We have very many injured people at the hospital, some broke their legs and hands, and those who caused the accidents are nowhere to be seen.”
Col. Ginana said the traffic police on Tuesday started to crack down on motorcycles and cars with no number plates and drivers with no driving permits.
“From today onwards we shall collect motorcycles with number plates and extend our operations from the main roads to residential areas including homes,” he said. “Any motorbikes or car found with no number plates shall be confiscated because those are ones committing crimes in town.”
The traffic police officer urged motorcycle owners to legally register their bikes and added that there are also many cars in Yambio with no number plates.
Col. Ginana said the operation will be backed by members of organized forces to help the traffic police officers execute the order.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) association in Yambio, Gaaniko Lawrence, condemned the traffic police’s crackdown, saying it will negatively affect their business. He wondered why the traffic police were seizing motorbikes yet they had given a 7-day window for people to register.
“The director of traffic police came to my office and we unanimously agreed that he should give me 7 days to talk to my fellow boda-boda riders to legalize their bikes to avoid inconveniences,” he clarified. “So, he (traffic police boss) accepted but to my surprise, this morning I am hearing that there is a massive crackdown on motorcycles both with and those with no number plates.”
Gaaniko warned that if the operation continues tomorrow without the intervention of the government, boda-bodas will stop work until the issue is resolved.