The Cross River State Government has rolled out a fresh round of relief measures for commercial drivers, exempting women in the transport business and men aged 60 and above from vehicle registration fees and daily operational levies, a move officials say reflects Governor Bassey Otu’s broader “People First” agenda.
The policy was unveiled on Monday by Chief Oliver Orok, Chairman of the Cross River State Transport Regulatory Agency (CTRA), during a stakeholders’ meeting with the drivers’ union representing the Calabar metropolis and the southern senatorial district.
Speaking to members of the union, Orok described the package of incentives as a “Season of Sweetness” for the state’s commercial transport operators, a phrase clearly intended to signal a shift toward a friendlier regulatory climate after periods of tension between drivers and revenue collectors.
According to Orok, the exemption targets two specific groups: women who are actively engaged in commercial driving, and elderly male vehicle owners who choose to get behind the wheel themselves rather than employ a driver.
“Women who are into this driving business will not pay for registration of their vehicle and will not pay daily operational levies. The operation is free for them,” Orok said, adding that men above 60 who own their vehicles and wish to drive commercially would enjoy the same waivers on both registration and daily levies.
The gesture appears designed to encourage participation by demographics historically underrepresented or more economically vulnerable within the commercial transport sector, particularly women, who remain a minority in Nigeria’s largely male-dominated commercial driving industry, and older vehicle owners who may otherwise be squeezed out by daily operating costs.
The fee exemptions are not standing alone. Orok said the state government had also slashed ticket prices across the board to “a minimal amount” and had temporarily suspended enforcement of certain road traffic offenses to give drivers more breathing room to operate.
He further confirmed that existing welfare schemes, including free transport services during festive periods and fuel support for vehicle owners, would continue.
Taken together, the measures suggest an attempt by the state to recalibrate its relationship with commercial transport workers, a politically significant and economically essential constituency in urban centers like Calabar.
However, the announcement came with a firm caveat. Orok used the same platform to address what he characterized as a growing culture of non-compliance among some drivers and union officials, who he said had been actively discouraging others from paying levies.
“When those who pay notice others are not paying and are being covered, they also refuse to pay. This enforcement is to ensure fairness and protect government revenue,” he said, framing the crackdown as a matter of equity rather than punishment, an attempt to protect drivers who comply from being undercut by those who don’t.
To that end, Orok announced that CTRA would launch a special enforcement exercise beginning August 1, working in partnership with security agencies to ensure levy compliance across the state.
He also urged commercial drivers to complete their vehicle registration promptly and to maintain the state’s officially designated vehicle colour scheme, rather than resorting to unauthorized stickers or paint jobs, a detail that suggests ongoing friction over vehicle identification and possibly illegal or unregistered operators on the roads.
CTRA invited the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the venue to register commercial drivers for voter cards on the spot a practical response to a recurring problem Orok flagged: many drivers simply don’t have the time to visit ward registration offices given the demands of their work.
Looking ahead, Orok said plans were underway to station INEC registration points along major transport routes, an initiative aimed at meeting drivers where they already are on the road rather than requiring them to carve out time away from their livelihoods to exercise their civic rights.
The announcement reflects a dual-track strategy by the Otu administration: extending targeted relief to vulnerable groups within the transport sector while simultaneously tightening the screws on revenue leakage elsewhere in the system.
Whether the exemptions will meaningfully boost female participation in commercial driving, or whether the looming August enforcement drive will spark friction with drivers accustomed to laxer compliance, remains to be seen in the weeks ahead.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Cross River State Government is offering real financial relief, free registration, and levy waivers for women drivers and men over 60 while simultaneously tightening enforcement on everyone else starting August 1. Compliance now determines who benefits.
Those who qualify for exemptions stand to gain significantly, but the broader union will face stricter monitoring, meaning the days of unofficial non-payment are numbered.
Anyone in the sector should register properly, maintain authorized vehicle colors, and take advantage of the on-site voter registration drive before the enforcement deadline arrives.
