The Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu, has approved a reduction in transport ticket charges for commercial drivers and restricted the operations of the Vehicle Inspection Office to its offices across the state.
The governor disclosed this in a statement shared on his Facebook page on Saturday, following concerns raised by commercial transport operators and residents in the Calabar metropolis over transport tickets, fines and enforcement practices.
According to Otu, the decision followed a meeting with relevant authorities and stakeholders aimed at easing the burden on drivers while ensuring fairness and transparency in the state’s transport system.
“Following the concerns raised by commercial transport operators and residents across the Calabar metropolis regarding transport tickets, fines, and enforcement practices, I convened a meeting with the relevant authorities and stakeholders to address these issues decisively,” he said.
The governor announced that daily tickets for commercial buses had been reduced from ₦850 to ₦500, while penalties for failure to purchase the ticket were adjusted to ₦10,000.
“Consequently, daily tickets for commercial buses have been reduced from ₦850 to ₦500, while the penalty for failure to purchase the ticket has been adjusted to ₦10,000,” the statement read.
He also disclosed that traffic-related fines across the state had been slashed by 50 per cent.
In addition, ticket charges for tricycle riders were reduced from ₦1,200 to ₦500.
Otu said enforcement officers would now be required to operate strictly in proper uniforms and carry verifiable identification to ensure professionalism and accountability.
“Furthermore, enforcement officers are now required to operate strictly in proper uniforms and carry verifiable identification to ensure accountability and professionalism in their duties,” he stated.
The governor also clarified the responsibilities of transport regulatory agencies in the state.
According to him, the Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency will focus strictly on the registration of commercial vehicles and sale of tickets at approved rates, while the Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency will limit its operations to traffic management responsibilities.
He further announced that the operations of the Vehicle Inspection Office would now be restricted to its offices.
“In the same vein, the operations of the Vehicle Inspection Office are now restricted to its offices,” the governor said.
As part of what he described as the administration’s “Season of Sweetness”, the governor added that mini-bus drivers and tricycle riders would be exempted from purchasing tickets on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
However, he maintained that tricycle riders must end operations by 6pm as night operations remained permanently banned.
“These directives will take effect from Monday, March 9, 2026,” Otu added, while urging transport operators and residents to cooperate with relevant agencies to ensure an orderly transport system.
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