South Sudan needs strong institutions, but strong institutions aren’t built through laws and policies alone. They are built when those entrusted with enforcing the law do so fairly, transparently, and without using their positions for personal gain.<\/p>\n
The Traffic Police administration’s directive ordering officers to stop collecting fines directly from motorists and boda-boda riders on the streets of Juba is therefore a welcome step.<\/p>\n
For years, roadside enforcement has been a source of frustration for many drivers and motorcycle riders who complain of being stopped and asked to pay money whenever they are accused of violating traffic regulations.<\/p>\n
Traffic laws are important. Every driver and boda-boda rider has a responsibility to obey them. However, enforcement of those laws must also follow proper procedures. When an officer collects money directly from a motorist at the roadside, it can become difficult to determine whether the payment is an official fine or an unofficial demand.<\/p>\n
This is where corruption can grow.<\/p>\n
The new directive provides a clearer system. Instead of collecting money on the streets, officers are expected to take motorists who violate traffic rules to the Traffic Police Headquarters in Buluk, where fines can be officially handled. Such a system can create records, improve accountability, and reduce opportunities for officers to demand money from motorists.<\/p>\n
But the success of this directive will depend on enforcement within the Traffic Police itself.<\/p>\n
The administration must ensure that officers understand the directive and that disciplinary measures are actually taken against those who deliberately violate it. The warning that officers caught collecting money on the streets could be arrested and referred to the Police Court sends an important message that corruption will not be tolerated.<\/p>\n
At the same time, motorists and boda-boda riders must also play their part. The new system should not be seen as an opportunity to ignore traffic regulations. Road users must obey the law, carry the required documents, and accept legitimate penalties when they commit violations.<\/p>\n
The public should also be encouraged to report officers who continue demanding roadside payments. Complaints should be investigated fairly, while officers should not be punished based solely on unverified allegations.<\/p>\n
Juba is growing rapidly, and the number of vehicles and motorcycles on its roads continues to increase. This requires a professional traffic management system that serves the public rather than intimidates road users.<\/p>\n
The government should therefore strengthen this directive by introducing official receipts, clear penalty schedules, and accessible complaint mechanisms.<\/p>\n
If properly implemented, stopping roadside collection of fines can do more than change how traffic penalties are paid. It can help restore public confidence, improve discipline, and reduce one of the opportunities through which petty corruption takes place on Juba’s streets<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
South Sudan needs strong institutions, but strong institutions aren’t built through laws and policies alone. They are built when those entrusted with enforcing the law do so fairly, transparently, and without using their positions for personal gain. The Traffic Police administration’s directive ordering officers to stop collecting fines directly from[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":45757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,90,122,80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-columnists","category-commentary","category-nation-talk","category-national"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/NATION-TALKS-LOGO-2.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47710"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47722,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47710\/revisions\/47722"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}