The Cross River State Government has limited Vehicle Inspection Officers’ responsibilities to office-based tasks and prohibited them from performing roadside operations.
Following a meeting with transportation stakeholders, the state governor, Bassey Otu, made the announcement on Saturday in Calabar.
Linus Obogo, the governor’s chief press secretary, revealed the situation in a statement.
Commercial transport operators protested the decision, accusing enforcement teams of harassing them and punishing them excessively.
Operators of commercial buses and tricycles have reported that during roadside inspections, authorities frequently pressured drivers and imposed exorbitant fines.
VIO officers will concentrate on administrative tasks within their offices instead of operating on public roads under the new mandate.
The state’s other transportation regulating bodies were similarly instructed to adhere scrupulously to their legal obligations.
The state administration authorized a decrease in daily transportation ticket prices as part of larger reforms in the transportation industry.
Penalties for not purchasing tickets were cut to ₦10,000, and the daily ticket charge for business vehicles was lowered from ₦850 to ₦500.
In order to avoid unlawful collecting, traffic-related fines were likewise lowered by 50% and must only be deposited into approved government accounts.
The daily ticket price for tricycle operators was reduced from ₦1,200 to ₦500. Additionally, new tricycle operating guidelines were introduced by the government.
Tricycle operators are no longer permitted to operate at night, and everyday operations are now anticipated to conclude by 6 p.m. Additionally, on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, commercial bus and tricycle operators won’t need to buy tickets.
According to Governor Otu, the measures were implemented to ease financial strain on operators and bring order back to the transportation industry.
He clarified that the Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency will henceforth concentrate on authorized ticket sales and vehicle registration.
Additionally, the governor mandated that law enforcement personnel only wear appropriate uniforms with valid identification.
In the meanwhile, the Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency was told to focus only on traffic management. The new regulations will go into force on March 9, 2026.
Sunday Dennis, the Metropolitan Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, also stated that the union will call an urgent meeting to examine the governor’s orders and determine how they would affect operators.
