Cross River Bans VIO Roadside Operations, Cuts Transport Fees

The Cross River State Government has prohibited Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) from conducting roadside operations, restricting their duties to office-based activities.

Governor Bassey Otu announced the directive on Saturday in Calabar after a meeting with transport stakeholders.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Linus Obogo.

According to the statement, the decision followed protests by commercial transport operators who accused enforcement officials of harassment, excessive fines and the imposition of inflated penalties.

Under the new directive, VIO officials will no longer conduct roadside enforcement operations, with their duties now limited to administrative and office-based functions.

Other transport regulatory agencies in the state have also been directed to operate strictly within their statutory mandates.

As part of the reforms, the government approved a reduction in daily transport ticket fees from N850 to N500, while penalties for failure to purchase tickets have been reduced to N10,000.

Traffic-related fines have also been cut by 50 per cent and must now be paid only into designated government accounts to prevent illegal collections.

For tricycle operators, the daily ticket fee has been reduced from N1,200 to N500, while night operations for tricycles have been banned, with operations required to end by 6 p.m. daily.

Commercial bus and tricycle operators have also been exempted from ticket purchases on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays as part of measures aimed at easing the financial burden on drivers.

Governor Otu said the reforms were introduced to restore order in the state’s transport sector while providing relief for operators.

He explained that the Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency (CTRA) would now focus on vehicle registration and approved ticket sales, while enforcement officers must operate in proper uniforms with verifiable identification.

The governor also directed the Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency (TRAMRA) to restrict its activities strictly to traffic management functions.

The new directives are expected to take effect from March 9, 2026.

Meanwhile, some transport operators expressed concerns that the reforms may not fully address existing enforcement challenges.

A commercial driver, Johnson Ade, urged the government to publish a comprehensive list of traffic offences and corresponding fines to avoid confusion and prevent impersonation by illegal enforcers.

“Reducing fines by 50 per cent is too general. Specific amounts for each offence should be clearly defined,” he said.

Also reacting, 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 discuss their implications for transport operators.