07/01/2025
: Open letter to Maj. Gen. Kon John Akot, Director General of the South Sudan National Traffic Service
Subject: The Ill-Advised Reduction of Driving License Duration
Dear Maj. Gen. Kon John Akot,
I write to you as the Chairman of the Common Peoples Alliance (CPA), representing the voices and concerns of South Sudan’s citizens—ordinary men and women whose daily lives are increasingly burdened by decisions that seem more intent on exploiting them than serving their best interests.
Your recent directive, dated 4th January 2025, has sparked widespread outrage both online and in the streets. This order, which reduces the validity of driving licenses for nationals to one year (down from the previous five years) and slashes the duration for foreigners to six months (from one year), has been met with justified anger and frustration.
Since assuming leadership of the Traffic Police Service, your administration has been marked by a series of decisions perceived by many as revenue-driven rather than service-oriented. This latest move is no different, and it raises serious concerns on multiple fronts.
Firstly, this directive places an undue financial burden on citizens already grappling with a difficult economic reality. The rising costs of living, soaring fuel prices, and the daily challenges of transportation are straining families and businesses alike. By shortening the license duration, you are effectively doubling the renewal costs for motorists, disproportionately affecting low-income individuals who rely on their vehicles for survival.
Secondly, this policy will exacerbate inefficiencies within an already overburdened system. Shortened license durations will lead to increased renewal applications, creating unnecessary administrative bottlenecks. This not only wastes valuable time for citizens but also adds further strain to the limited capacity of your department, which is already criticized for slow, inefficient, and corrupt processes.
Thirdly, the impact on foreign workers and investors cannot be overstated. By reducing the validity of licenses for foreigners to six months, your directive sends a troubling signal to the international community. It suggests unpredictability and a lack of hospitality, undermining South Sudan’s efforts to attract foreign investment and talent at a critical time in our nation’s economic development.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, this decision lacks any substantive justification. There is no evidence to suggest that shortening license durations will improve road safety, enhance traffic management, or contribute to better public service. On the contrary, it appears to be a thinly veiled attempt to generate revenue at the expense of a struggling population. Such actions erode public trust in the Traffic Police Service and tarnish the credibility of the institutions you lead.
Maj. Gen. Kon, I urge you to reconsider and withdraw this directive without delay. Leadership is about building trust, fostering fairness, and acting in the best interests of the people. This policy achieves none of those objectives. Instead, I call on you to focus on meaningful reforms that reduce corruption, streamline services, and enhance the efficiency of the Traffic Police Service.
You have a unique opportunity to serve South Sudan with integrity and leave behind a legacy rooted in justice and fairness. To do so, however, requires listening to the people you are tasked to serve and prioritizing their welfare above all else.
Yours sincerely,
Deng Bol Aruai Bol
Chairman,
Common Peoples Alliance (CPA)
Juba, South Sudan
5th January 2025
