Transport Reform: Gov Otu Slashes Tickets, Fines as TRAMRA Resumes

Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, has ordered a comprehensive review of transport enforcement operations across the state, announcing sweeping reductions in tickets and fines for commercial drivers, even as the Cross River State Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency (TRAMRA) prepares to resume its statutory functions beginning Monday, March 9, 2026.

The governor’s intervention followed a recent protest by commercial bus drivers within the Calabar metropolis and widespread public concerns over the rising cost of transport tickets, excessive penalties and alleged harassment by enforcement teams of transport regulatory agencies.

Arising from an emergency meeting involving the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ededem Ani and Special Adviser on General Duties, Dr. Ekpenyong Akiba, and stakeholders in the transport sector, the administration unveiled a series of corrective measures designed to ease the financial burden on drivers while restoring discipline and order within the transport regulatory system.

“Government has listened carefully to the concerns of commercial drivers and citizens,” Governor Otu said. “Our responsibility is to maintain order on our roads while ensuring that enforcement mechanisms do not become instruments of hardship for hardworking people trying to earn a living.”

Under the new directive, daily tickets for commercial bus operators have been reduced from N850 to N500, while the penalty for failure to purchase the ticket has been reduced to N10,000. The governor also ordered that all traffic-related fines across the system be reduced by 50 per cent.

Similarly, tickets for tricycle operators have been cut from N1,200 to N500, although the administration maintained a restriction on their hours of operation, directing that tricycle riders must terminate operations by 6 p.m., as night-time tricycle operations remain permanently banned.

“To ensure transparency and accountability, all fines, levies and transport-related payments must henceforth be made only into designated Cross River State Government accounts,” the governor stated. “No enforcement personnel is authorized to collect cash payments on the roads.”

Governor Otu further clarified the operational boundaries of the agencies involved, directing the Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency to focus strictly on the registration of commercial vehicles, the sale of tickets at approved rates and the enforcement of ticket compliance.

“All enforcement officers must operate in proper uniform and carry verifiable identification,” he stressed. “We are determined to eliminate every trace of abuse, impersonation and extortion from the system.”

In the same directive, the governor has limited the activities of the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) strictly to its office-based operations, while reaffirming that the Cross River State Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency will concentrate solely on its statutory traffic management responsibilities on the roads.

Meanwhile, TRAMRA, through its Director-General, Alfred Effiong, has announced that with the lifting of the earlier suspension on enforcement activities for commercial motorists, the agency will officially resume its statutory duties across the state beginning Monday, March 9, 2026.

“The agency will redeploy its personnel to enforce traffic regulations, promote safe driving practices and ensure orderly traffic management across Cross River State,” the agency said in a statement. “We urge all motorists to comply fully with traffic laws for the safety of all road users.”

In what the governor described as part of the administration’s “Season of Sweetness,” mini-bus drivers and tricycle operators have also been exempted from the purchase of tickets on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, a move designed to provide additional economic relief to transport operators.

Governor Otu emphasized that the reforms reflect his administration’s commitment to balancing regulatory order with social sensitivity.

“Our goal is simple,” he said. “A transport system that is orderly, humane and efficient — one that protects road users, supports drivers and restores public confidence in the institutions responsible for regulating our roads.”