With New Cross River Traffic Law, tax exemption for the poor is meaningless, Motorists

Cross State government has directly or indirectly reintroduced tax payment by the poor and less privileged in the state with the introduction of a new traffic regulatory law and agency.

Three years ago the ago had announced the announced the exemption of the poor and low income earners from tax and ticket payment and last week reinforced the order as he went ahead to suspend the notorious Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency (CTRA) that tormented bus, taxi, motor bike (okada) and tricycle operators in the name of collecting daily tickets.

To ensure the tax exemption law was enforced, the governor in tears for the poor, went ahead to inaugurate an Anti Tax Agency headed by Bishop Emmah Isong of the Christian Central Chapel International (CCCI) to check the illegal activities of consultants and others who go about collecting taxes from the poor saying, “I never knew that five years into office as a governor, I would still find someone who would live in a thatch house in Cross River State…I knew how prepared I was but it didn’t end the way I dreamt it”.

But motorists, the poor and less privileged were shocked with the recent introduction of the Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency (TRAMRA), which announced that with effect from June 1, it will commence enforcement of non compliance with 76 traffic offences attracting fines of between N 3,000 t0 N50, 000 through a mobile court depending on the traffic offence.

Director General of TRAMRA, Mr. Godwin Nyiam in a public notice on Thursday listed some of the traffic offences under the Cross River State Traffic Management And Regulatory Agency Law (Offences & Fines) to include; “Driving with expired driving license………. 3,000, Driving without a driver’s license……. 8,000, Driving an unregistered vehicle…… 10,000, Driving a commercial vehicle without hachney/stage carriage license….. 5,000.00… 10,000, Being in possession of driving license and driving of any vehicle by a person under 18 years of age…… 10,000, Driving a vehicle without a cover note or a certificate of insurance…. 10,000, Carrying a roof rack without permit…. 5,000, Not wearing a commercial conductor’s badge… 5,000, Not wearing a commercial driver’s badge…… 5,000, Driving a vehicle with worn-out tyres….. 5,000, Sale of goods of any sort on public highway… 5,000, Display of goods of any sort on pedestrian walkway… 10,000, Covering or shading of number plate… 10,000” (all in Naira) and 62 others.

He said “this is to inform the general public particularly, owners of abandoned vehicles on all streets of Calabar and it’s environments that theTRAMRA, shall from Monday June 1, 2020, commence enforcement of wrong parking and removal of all such vehicles. In the same vein, all mechanics, vulcanizers and car wash outlets who have turned public roads into their business premises should by this announcement desist from the act,as taskforce has been set up to correct this abnormality. Owners of heavy duty vehicles are also advised to desist from parking their Trucks/Vehicles on Pedestrian walk ways.

“Furthermore, any driver driving without seat belt will be arrested, prosecuted and the vehicle will be impounded. Also,all street trading on pedestrian walkways is highly prohibited and those involved in this should please desist. All owners of vehicles should ensure that their vehicles are in good shape and particulars up to date”.

He warned that “the public should also take note that the Agency now has Mobile Courts that are strategically positioned to prosecute offenders…All vehicles and it’s drivers confirmed to have violated these order shall be impounded ,arrested and prosecuted at the Special Traffic Court which shall be sitting for the purpose”.

But motorists, petty traders and others whom the governor categorized under the poor and less privileged have kicked against the new agency saying the “tax exemption was a Greek gift. This means we will end up paying for traffic offences and incur debt because no one can escape the 76 offences, this is anti people”.

A taxi driver, Mr. John Effiom said, “I have been driving taxi for 15 years now, in my life I have never seen this kind of law. If enforced nobody in the state can escape it. Please governor it is better you return us to our tax and abolish this new traffic agency and laws that will kill us. Remember, last year a young Wheel Barrow trader was ran over and killed by the defunct Department of Public Transportation (DOPT) vehicle that has turned into TRAMRA for refusing to give bribe yet up till now the government has done nothing to compensate his late family. This new agency will kill us, the governor should please intervene”.

Another motorist, Mr. Bassey Edet said, “how can the government set up a new agency on traffic or do they want to take over the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) and the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC)?. We are in trouble because these people coming from the former DOPT behave like thugs. How can the governor give with the right hand in the name of tax exemption and collect with the left through TRAMRA?