South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
South Sudan National Police Service said on Friday that it will early next week launch a crackdown on motorcyclists riding without wearing helmets.
The development stems from last week’s meeting between the Inspector General of Police Lt. Gen. Atem Marol Biar and the leadership of the Boda-Boda Association in Juba.
After the meeting, Inspector General of Police, Lt. Gen. Atem Marol Biar issued the directive to motorcyclists to acquire helmets within two weeks.
The order also restricted the boda-boda riders to carry only one passenger and it prohibited teenagers under 18 from carrying passengers.
Maj. Gen. Daniel Justin, Police spokesperson said the y will enforce the new road safety measures that come into effect on December 11.
“The operation starts on Monday we will be carrying out all these negative aspects happening in our society,” said Justin during press conference held in Juba.
He said they would also arrest underage youngsters found riding motorbikes
“Last week we talked of regulating traffic on the road especially those of Boda-Bada because now they have become a security threat for almost everybody. They overtake wrongly and do not use helmets,” said Justin.
He said starting from Monday, motorcycle riders and passengers must be required to wear helmets, adding that it is now mandatory.
“Also we have disclosed that some of our parents are sending children to school on Boda-Boda and then you get Boda-Boda carrying more than four or five children, this is completely banned,” he said.
The police spokesman also advised parents with four or five children to transport them to school by Tut-tuk instead of Boda-Boda for their safety.
“We advise if you have more than three children, you better look for Rasha (tutuk) because it is safer for your children because Boda-Boda with small five or four get involved in an accident, it will be a devastate.”
According to police, the new measures aimed to ensure the safety of motorcycle riders and passengers as well reducing the number of head injuries or accidents.
