Some commercial drivers on the aegis of Driver Welfare Club of Nigeria, has expressed worry over the recent TIMARIV BILL forwarded to the state house of assembly led by Oko Jumbo.
A Statement By Publicity Secretary Of DCWN, Christopher Ezeali said the Union is not in tandem with the recent bill and allege that the bill to repeal TIMARIV law will put more hardship on commercial drivers in the state while noting that there’s an existing body called River State tax force on illegal motor park and illegal street trading.
Mr. Christopher revealed that commercial drivers alleged that the move as initiated was not transparent because other Road transport unions were never consulted or carried along.
He said some of the reasons given to repeal the bill such as assault, attack, hit and run driver in order to escape impoundment will definitely occur which was the same reason also that led to the disbandment of the Timariv during Ex Gov, Chibuike Amaechi administration.
Recall that during the week Rivers State House of Assembly under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo was set to repeal the Rivers State Road Traffic Management Agency, TIMARIV, Law.
Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, disclosed this in Port Harcourt while reacting to submission by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at the just-concluded public hearing on the Rivers State Transport Authority Reform Bill in Port Harcourt.
Oko-Jumbo said repealing TIMARIV law has become necessary in order to avoid conflict with the Rivers State Transport Authority Reform Bill 2024.
He said though TIMARIV was disbanded, the law setting it up has not been repealed.
The Speaker said the present bill was meant to reposition the state transportation system for greater productivity and to engender competition among stakeholders.
He said the bill will among other things address insecurity, especially the one chance robbery incident currently in the state and also enable the National Union of Road Transport Workers to have adequate knowledge of its members.
Rt. Hon. Oko-Jumbo said the bill will also check incessant boat mishaps along the state’s waterways, while all incidences of wreckages occasioned by broken down vehicles and vessels along the waterways will be checked.
He said the bill will lead to the establishment of designated buss tops and streets, thereby bringing sanity to the state transportation system.