A traffic police on duty in the street of Juba. | Photo: Courtesy.

The Deputy Inspector General of National Traffic Police has cancelled an order imposing several fines on traffic violators across the country.

The Cancellation follows public outcry and threats by the South Sudan Bar Association to take the Ministry of Interior to court over the new directive.

On Wednesday, the Directorate of National Traffic Police issued a punitive order against traffic rule breakers across the country.

These major violations carry penalties of up to 50,000 SSP for motorists who violated traffic rules.

It states that vehicles found without number plates or with one number plate and with covered number plates will pay a fine.

The traffic police will also penalize intoxicated drivers, drivers without licenses, those in possession of expired licenses and logbooks or without logbooks.

It also says reckless drivers including those driving on the wrong path, those disobeying instructions and using inappropriate words are liable to fine.

The document bearing the stamp of the Ministry of Interior and signed by the Assistant Inspector General for the National Traffic Police, Lt. Gen. Akok Noon Akok, seeks to reinforce the existing traffic rules.

This, according to the advocates, is a violation of the constitution.

The Bar Association claims the Ministry of Interior do not have utmost power to issue laws.

They argue the statutory body is the only institution charged with the responsibility of enacting legislations to regulate the conditions and terms of service of the line ministry and its oversight mechanisms.

The group consisting of nine lawyers gave the Ministry of Interior a one-week ultimatum to cancel the directive or drag them to court.

Responding to the demands, Lt. Gen. Akok Noon Akok revoked the directive in a new order dated 11th February.

Lt. Gen. Akok, in the statement seen by Eye Radio, cited dissatisfaction of the public and lawyers as reasons for cancelling the directive.

“The traffic department has continued monitoring the interactions of the public on various media outlets and have noticed that most people are not satisfied with these corrective measures”, the statement by Lt. Gen. Akok partly read.