Bassey Otu Orders Immediate Ban On Roadside Vehicle Inspections

The Cross River State Government has prohibited Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) from carrying out roadside operations, limiting their duties to office-based functions.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

State Governor Bassey Otu announced the directive on Saturday in Calabar following a meeting with transport stakeholders. The announcement was confirmed in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Linus Obogo.

The decision comes after protests from commercial transport operators who accused enforcement teams of harassment and excessive penalties. Operators of buses and tricycles had complained that VIO officers frequently imposed inflated fines and intimidated motorists during roadside inspections.

Under the new directive, VIO officials will no longer conduct checks on public roads and will focus solely on administrative duties within their offices. Other transport regulatory agencies in the state have also been instructed to operate strictly within their statutory mandates.

As part of broader reforms in the transport sector, the state government approved a reduction in daily transport ticket fees. The daily ticket fee for commercial vehicles has been reduced from ₦850 to ₦500, with penalties for failure to purchase tickets lowered to ₦10,000. Traffic-related fines have been cut by 50% and are to be paid only into designated government accounts to prevent illegal collections.

For tricycle operators, the daily ticket fee has been cut from ₦1,200 to ₦500. New operational guidelines have also been introduced, including a ban on night operations, with daily activities now ending by 6 p.m. Commercial bus and tricycle operators will no longer be required to purchase tickets on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.

Governor Otu explained that the reforms aim to restore order in the transport sector while reducing financial pressure on operators. He added that the Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency will now focus on vehicle registration and approved ticket sales, while enforcement officers are required to operate only in proper uniforms with verifiable identification.

Meanwhile, the Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency has been directed to limit its duties strictly to traffic management. The new directives are set to take effect on March 9, 2026.

Speaking on the reforms, the Metropolitan Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Sunday Dennis, said the union would convene an emergency meeting to review the governor’s directives and assess their impact on operators.

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