The government has deployed professional standard units to monitor the traffic police on the streets.

The South Sudan National Police Service Spokesperson Maj. Gen Daniel Justin told the City Review that the group consists of plain-clothed officers who will help monitor the behaviours of the colleagues attached to the traffic department. 

“We normally deploy them alongside the traffic police but they will not know them…they will report the officer who receives the money,’’ he told The City Review in an interview on Tuesday.

 He added that the method works in curbing extortion of drivers by officers and also warned motorists against paying “unnecessary fines’’.

“We tell the public that whenever you feel that you are not guilty, [there is] no need of paying the traffic police the money…You are part of the crime [if you pay]. 

“[Even if they threaten you by] taking you to the headquarters or jail you should not fear because at the end of the day justice will prevail,” Maj. Gen. Justin advised. 

 Talks tough 

“Some drivers do complain that they often pay SSP 10,000 and they are given a receipt of SSP3,000. That is your mistake, the receipt is to show that you have paid such an amount, how come you pay SSP 10, 000 and you accept a receipt of SSP3,000?.”

Maj. Gen. Justin said the police commanders are always deployed on the streets and they are responsible for everything that happens in their duty stations. 

He said the commanders are responsible for any atrocities committed against motorists and pedestrians by the officers. 

“We have received these complaints that traffic police officers charge fees on innocent drivers with all the necessary documents. If we find complaints from road users, we will charge the commander responsible,” he warned.

The police spokesperson said before deploying the traffic police on the streets, they are always briefed on how they should handle the road users and solve problems.

Fraudulent acts

In August, motorists complained of rampant harassment by traffic police officers in Juba. They alleged that the traffic police officers were stopping them on the roads and asking for documents like a ‘driver’s assessment test’.

The motorists urged lawmakers to question harassment and inconveniencing acts of the traffic police.

A report published by Eye Radio showed that the motorists were frustrated calling such harassment an indirect business act to pull money from the public.

“I was just caught by surprise like any other driver,” Chan Baniko said. “I asked the traffic police officer who stopped me, what is the name of that document? He said it is called a driver’s assessment test, then I asked him, why do I need a driver’s assessment test when I have a valid license?”

The driver alleged that the traffic police said they were orders from the highest authority that they were applying. 

“He said this is just an order from above that every driver in town will have to get one driver’s assessment test. The officer told me it is SSP13,000 which I paid and when they gave me back the receipt the figure recorded was SSP5,000. Meaning that SSP8,000 had disappeared just amongst them,” complained the motorist.

Kezia Ajah, one of the female motorists says traffic police are targeting vulnerable female drivers.

 “I have experienced quite a several harassments on the road by the traffic police officers, now they are talking of license certificate,” she revealed. 

Ajah said both her license and the logbook were confiscated by the traffic police.

In May last year, the national police service pledged to suppress acts of indiscipline by traffic police officers in Juba.

The fraudulent traffic police officers were to be identified and arrested to alleviate complaints from drivers and members of the public. Drivers also complained of being asked to pay bribes and being intimidated due to logbooks and tinted windows.