Lawmakers in South Sudan’s transitional parliament have criticised new traffic charges, calling them illegal and an undue burden on citizens.
During a session of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) on Tuesday, MPs said recent orders from the Traffic Police Director violated laws passed by parliament.
The orders introduce new fees for driving tests and alter the renewal periods for vehicle logbooks and driving licences.
Giel Thou, an MP representing Mayom County, accused Traffic Police Director General Kon John Akot of implementing measures “meant to extort money from the citizens.”
The controversy centres on a new mandatory “driving test certificate,” required even for holders of valid licences and renewable every six months. The move has drawn criticism from MPs and human rights activists.
“The director of police has violated the law,” Thou said, citing a parliamentary amendment from two years ago that made vehicle logbooks permanent rather than subject to renewal every five years.
‘Complete Intransigence’
Samuel Buhori Loti, chair of the parliament’s committee on security and public order, said traffic police continued to operate under old regulations despite new laws.
He accused the traffic director of “complete intransigence,” saying that by including insurance details in logbooks, authorities had effectively reinstated an annual renewal requirement.
“The minister did not even respond,” Loti said, referring to requests for clarification. He added that South Sudan’s traffic police still operate under a 2003 law from the pre-independence “New Sudan” era.
Speaker Intervenes
TNLA Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba said the enforced traffic regulations did not reflect the legislature’s decisions.
“This issue of traffic has become too much for citizens. Every day there is a new law,” she said, questioning the legal basis for the measures. She noted that parliament annually approves revenue sources and defines what traffic police may collect.
“We have already passed in this house that there is no yearly renewal of logbooks. Logbooks are issued once, until the vehicle is sold,” Kumba said. “Anything contrary to that is illegal.”
On driving licences, she said parliament had approved a five-year renewal period.
“The minister of interior should answer for this,” she told lawmakers, warning that new requirements were adding to public hardship. “Citizens are already suffering. You cannot add more suffering.”
Kumba also expressed concern over inconsistent and expanding requirements, including permits for tinted vehicle windows.
She reiterated parliament’s commitment to addressing the issue, saying the Interior Minister must be held accountable for the changes.