Anambra motorists frowns agency harassment, N300,000 fines on road

Motorists plying the ever-busy Onitsha-Owerri Road in Anambra State have decried incessant harassment and imposition of “unjustifiable” fines by officials of the Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency, especially at the bad portions of the road near the People’s Club Bus Stop.

Some of the motorists, who spoke to our correspondent in separate interviews on Saturday, alleged that ARTMA officials were using the deplorable condition of the road to extort various amounts of money, ranging from ₦150,000 to ₦300,000, from private motorists, taxi and commercial bus drivers plying the highway to the popular Upper Iweka end of the road.

The drivers lamented that the deep and dangerous potholes on the road, particularly near the People’s Club Bus Stop, were forcing them to drive in the opposite lane, thereby subjecting them to heavy fines and alleged extortion by traffic officials, a situation they described as a “double tragedy”.

Our correspondent, who was at the scene, observed that motorists travelling from the Obosi end of the Onitsha-Owerri Road towards Upper Iweka diverted near the People’s Club, where they connected to the opposite lane in order to continue their journey.

It was also observed that many drivers heading towards Upper Iweka had to divert to the opposite lane when they reached the People’s Club axis to avoid the deep potholes, which had made driving almost impossible along that stretch.

Most of the drivers who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being identified by the officers said the traffic officials always hid at a corner of the road near the bad portions on a daily basis, especially during peak hours, where they waited for drivers plying “one way” and demanded various amounts of money. In some cases, they allegedly impounded vehicles when drivers failed to pay.

They accused the ARTMA officials of focusing only on enforcement and fines rather than addressing the road conditions which, according to them, were forcing them into the opposite lane.

One of the taxi drivers said, “They always jump out from a corner of the road and stop you. If you don’t pay the money they demand, they will delay you or threaten to impound your vehicle. This has become a daily routine. Sometimes, they ask you to pay as much as ₦150,000.”

It is worse for commercial buses going to Upper Iweka. They target us because they know we must take passengers to their various places of work and businesses. And they do this during peak hours. They have no conscience, especially considering that it is deep and dangerous potholes that have resulted in vehicles plying the opposite lane.

“They are not interested in finding a solution to the big dangerous potholes and bad roads along the Onitsha-Owerri Road, they are only interested in using it to cash in on the motorists.”

When contacted, the Managing Director of ARTMA, Emeka Okonkwo, insisted that any motorist who committed the violation should pay the fine imposed, warning drivers to avoid one-way offences.