Tuesday, 7th April 2026
More than ten bus drivers, crews, and owners, along with other private vehicle owners, have been arrested and charged since the Street Eviction Operation started.
This morning (Tuesday, April 7), while visiting the Waigani Police Station, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Benjamin Turi confirmed that about 20 drivers and crews of defective buses, as well as other vehicles that had violated traffic rules, were arrested and are to be charged or fined according to the traffic offenses they committed.
Commander Turi, while speaking to the traffic offenders at the Waigani police station, warned them that playing hide and seek with the police had to stop and that those doing business or owning vehicles must adhere to traffic rules. He said the operation would continue and that more traffic offenders would be arrested and charged accordingly. He mentioned that defective vehicles that are not roadworthy would be moved to Eight Mile to be impounded at the impounding yard.
While addressing the police officers and RTA officers at Waigani Police Station, Road Traffic Authority Chief Executive Officer John Avira also handed over the keys to the renovated cell block to National Capital District Metropolitan Superintendent Warrick Simatab, who will now start detaining traffic offenders.
Metsupt Simatab, who was stressing what ACP Turi said, also added that his police station commanders had been challenged to clean up their own areas of operation. He stated that, to set a precedent, police officers will be tested before they are allowed to drive police vehicles or be issued licenses, which they had already done. Metsupt Simatab, while thanking the RTA boss for maintaining the Waigani Police Station cell block, added that this shows the partnership that enforcement agencies are working together to clean up the city.
RTA CEO John Avira also thanked the police officers who had been assisting the RTA officers for their support in the last couple of days, during which more than twenty vehicles were impounded. He said the vehicles that were impounded at the police stations will now be taken to the impounding yard, where the defective vehicles will be stored. He mentioned that the vehicles at the location will remain there for three months, allowing the owners to fix them. He stated that if the vehicles are not fixed, then the RTA will dispose of them.
He said that so far, the operation has gone well, and they will continue.
End.
