Profile| Motorists in Juba. (Photo: Ggaba Joy).

Central Equatoria government has emphasized the need to regulate the operation of sprawling rickshaws and boda-boda riders along key roundabouts in Juba to ease traffic congestion.

CES Minister of Local Government and the Law Enforcement Agency Leon Abe Brown was addressing the media following the state government’s security meeting on Tuesday.

Juba, which serves both as the state and national capital, has a growing number of vehicles using limited roads, many of which are narrow and poorly maintained. This leaves motorists stuck in long lines of traffic jams in the evening hours.

Minister Abe highlighted the random parking along roundabouts, primarily caused by rickshaw operators. This leads to traffic congestion, particularly at the Customs, Jebel, and Kubri Jaden areas.

The minister said that the state government has instructed rickshaw operators to ensure smooth traffic flow and avoid obstructing the roundabouts, especially during peak evening hours.

“We have found that there’s random blocking of roundabouts especially at the Custom area, and Jebel by the rickshaws (TukTuk),” he said.

“We are not chasing them out because we know this is part and parcel of the business they are surviving on. But we need a system because these are highways that are for public use.”

He further pointed out that the government does not plan to chase the rickshaw and boda-boda operators away, as they are an important source of livelihood for many people.

He said the focus is on ensuring order and maintaining a functional system.

Rickshaws, which have become a dominant means of transport in the city, are a primary source of income for many young people in Juba.

While the exact number of motorcycles in South Sudan is difficult to assess, it is estimated that around 10% of South Sudan’s population uses tricycles and bikes, including boda-boda for commercial purposes.