Police in South Sudan are set to enforce strict road usage guidelines for commercial motorcycle riders, commonly known as boda-boda. The guidelines, recently issued by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), will be implemented starting next Monday, according to Maj. Gen. Daniel Justin Buolo, the Spokesperson of the National Police Service.
Speaking at a news conference held at the Interior Ministry’s headquarters in Juba, Gen. Justin emphasized the need for regulating traffic, especially boda-bodas, which have become a security concern due to reckless behaviour such as wrongful overtaking and failure to use helmets.
He stated, “Last week, we talked about regulating traffic on the road, especially the boda-bodas. Now they have become a security threat for almost everybody. They overtake wrongly, they are not using helmets, and all these. Last week, we gave a two-week period for everybody to arrange and adhere to the rules and regulations issued by the traffic.”
Justin said the National Police Service is set to enforce new road usage guidelines, including the mandatory wearing of helmets for both riders and passengers, as well as a restriction on carrying only one passenger.
He emphasized, “One was that every boda-boda rider must wear a helmet and also the passenger must have a helmet. There are boda-bodas that used to carry luggage, and those individuals are advised to transport only luggage without any passengers. Carrying more than one passenger on a boda-boda is now banned, and individuals found violating this rule will face legal consequences.”
He addressed the issue of boda-bodas transporting schoolchildren, stating, “We have discovered that some of our people are sending children to school on boda-bodas carrying more than 4 or 5 children. We advise that if you have more than three children, you better look for a rickshaw (tricycle) because that is safer for your children.”
Furthermore, the police conducted a survey revealing that underage persons are involved in riding rickshaws, prompting Gen. Justin to stress that this practice is completely banned. Any teenager found riding a rickshaw will face arrest according to the new guidelines.
Relatedly, the police spokesperson stated that the ongoing effort to address criminal activities involving teenagers will persist.
“We have conducted operations targeting individuals involved in criminal activities in Juba town, specifically focusing on those identified as “niggers” and “Torontos.” As a result, we have arrested over 400 individuals. A committee, comprising over 20 investigators from the police, has been established under the leadership of the First Prosecutor General of Central Equatoria State,” he explained.
“They commenced their operations last week, successfully identifying numerous criminal gang groups. Additionally, they have distinguished individuals who were mistakenly apprehended and promptly released, particularly students caught inadvertently during the operation,” stated Justin. He continued, “The ongoing operation will persist, especially considering that criminal gangs tend to be highly active during the festive season.”
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