Juba, South Sudan
February 14, 2022—South Sudan National Traffic Police has issued an order withdrawing its standing order that was aimed to impose fines on drivers of vehicles, rickshaws and motorcycles that violate traffic following criticism that the police lacks legal framework to draft and approve such punitive action, and try to impose it.
This comes less than a week after group of lawyers and legal advocates reacted and immediately questioned the legality of the order and urged the concerned authority to revoke its order or else they would go to court.
In a statement seen by Nyamilepedia on 11th of February 2022, Lt. General Akok Noon Akok, the Assistant Inspector General of National Traffic Police issues a statement canceling the controversial order.
“.. The Traffic Department has continued monitoring the reactions of the public on various media outlets, and has noticed that most people are not satisfied with these corrective measures”,the statement reads issued by the Assistant Inspector General of National Traffic Gen. Akok Noon Akok.
“Therefore, I, Lt. Gen. Akok Noon Akok, the Assistant Inspector General of National Traffic Police issued this standing order canceling the above-mentioned order from the date of its signature the date 11th of February, 2022 A.D”,the statement added.
The office of Assistant Inspector General of National Traffic Police issued on, 9th of February 2022, a standing order imposing fines on motorists as an attempt to reduce violations and misconduct by the motorists on the road.
The order had been publicly criticized by many lawyers and legal experts citing lack of legal basis for an order to hold and demanded that the concerned institution must voluntarily cancel the order or else the responsible could be drag to court to justify their mandates.