By Eteteonline
Governor Bassey Otu approved measures to lessen the burden on drivers and restore order in the system with effect from Monday, March 9, 2026, in response to the recent protest by commercial bus drivers in the Calabar metropolis and the concerns expressed by citizens regarding the high cost of transport tickets, excessive fines, and alleged harassment by enforcement teams of the Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency (CTRA), the Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency (TRAMRA), and the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO).
The outcome of the discussion with the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Special Adviser on General Duties to the Governor, and other important transportation sector stakeholders led to the Governor’s action.
All traffic-related fines have been reduced by 50% and are only to be paid into certain Cross River State Government accounts, per the Governor’s directive.
Additionally, CTRA will only concentrate on the registration of commercial vehicles, the selling of tickets at authorized prices, and the enforcement of ticket compliance; all enforcement officers must wear appropriate uniforms and have valid identity.
Additionally, TRAMRA must limit its activities to its legally mandated traffic management responsibilities. Similarly, VIO’s operations are now limited to its offices.
By taking the action to restrict the three agencies to their core mandates, Governor Otu has restored sanity on the streets of Calabar and confirmed his ‘People First’ mantra. He has lifted a big burden and yoke placed on the residents of Calabar by fellow citizens.
The personnel from these agencies have become like monsters, inflicting daily hardship on motorists. Staff of TRAMRA turn themselves into security personnel, conduct stop and search activities, seize vehicles, and make all kinds of demands on motorists, including for a first-aid box. The fine for not having a first-aid box is N30 thousand, subject, however, to negotiation.
Some personnel of TRAMRA specialize in destroying fire extinguishers in the presence of motorists, and they will tell the vehicle owner to pay N5,000 for using a defective extinguisher.
They engaged in all kinds of fraud, extortion, and racketeering against motorists. Those whose vehicles are impounded and taken to their office at the former Budget Office are made to pay huge amounts of fines into private accounts via POS.
Though the Court of Appeal has ruled that VIOs cannot impose fines or impound vehicles on the road, they have continued to disobey the court. They abandon their core mandate, set up roadblocks, and make outrageous demands on motorists. Even when your papers are complete, some of their personnel will ask for a first-aid box so that there is no escape route from their web of corruption. Failure to produce any or all of the items would attract a fine, which is paid in cash into somebody’s pocket.
Cross River prides itself as a tourist destination and cannot allow these miscreants in the transport agencies to continue with their nefarious activities, as this undermines the state’s reputation and safety for visitors. This certainly will de-market the state and scare off potential tourists to the state capital.
The action taken by the governor is highly commendable and should be enforced by the government. Many of those affected by the governor’s directive might see it as removing bread from their mouths and replacing it with stone. They are earning salaries from the state government and should manage the way other citizens are managing, without carrying their frustration and greed to other struggling members of the public.
The present is indeed the Season of Sweetness in Calabar!
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