By Hou Akot Hou
The traffic police in Aweil town of Northern Bhar El Ghazal State have impounded 30 motorcycles for failure to acquire new number plates after the deadline for registration elapsed on June 10th.
“We have impounded 30 motorbikes and two cars. The orders came all the way from the Ministry of Interior and we have to abide by them. We announced last week that everyone has to come for the number plates and some people are still shying away so we have to act swiftly,” Simon Dut, a traffic police in Aweil town said on Tuesday.
Arkangelo Angou Makor, acting traffic police director for Northern Bahr El Ghazal State, said last week that heavy and light vehicles such as tractors, cars and motorbikes need to be registered.
The decision comes after police said it was unable to identify vehicles and motorcycles involved in road accidents.
One of the motorists, who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity, accused the traffic police of using the crackdown to solicit for bribes from desperate motorists.
“Where do they think we can get 58,000 SSP to get the number plates? This money is too much for some of us to afford,” he said.
The traffic officials said the number plates for motorcycles go for 50,000 SSP and 80,000 SSP for vehicles.
