GOVERNOR OTU BANS VIO ACTIVITIES ACROSS CROSS RIVER
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By: Fasasi Hammad
The Cross River State Government has banned Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) from carrying out roadside enforcement, restricting their duties to office-based functions.
The directive follows complaints from commercial transport operators who accused VIO officials of harassment and imposing excessive fines.
Governor Bassey Otu announced the measure on Saturday in Calabar after consulting with transport stakeholders, according to a statement from his Chief Press Secretary, Linus Obogo.
Under the new rules, VIO officials will no longer patrol the roads. Their responsibilities will now focus solely on administrative tasks, while other transport regulatory agencies are expected to operate strictly within their legal mandates.
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The reforms also include a reduction in daily transport ticket fees—from N850 to N500 for buses, and from N1,200 to N500 for tricycles. Penalties for failing to purchase tickets have been lowered to N10,000, and traffic-related fines have been cut by 50%, with all payments required to go into designated government accounts to prevent illegal collections.
Tricycle night operations are now prohibited, ending at 6 p.m., and both bus and tricycle operators are exempt from ticket fees on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays to ease financial burdens.
Governor Otu explained that the reforms aim to restore order to the transport sector while reducing the economic pressure on operators. He emphasized that the Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency (CTRA) will now focus on vehicle registration and approved ticket sales, and that enforcement officers must wear proper uniforms and carry verifiable identification.
The Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency (TRAMRA) has also been instructed to confine its role strictly to traffic management duties.
The new directives will take effect from March 9, 2026. The governor urged residents and transport operators to cooperate fully with authorities.
Some operators, however, have raised concerns that the measures do not resolve all enforcement issues. Johnson Ade, a commercial driver, suggested that the government publish a clear list of traffic offences and fines to prevent confusion and impersonation.
“Reducing fines by 50% is too broad. Each offence should have a clearly defined amount,” he said.
Mr. Sunday Dennis, Metropolitan Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), said the union would convene an emergency meeting to review the governor’s directives and assess their impact on operators.
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