The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Victor Oko-Jumbo has kickstarted the process of fulfilling his promise of legislating for safer water transport and strategic reforms in the transportation in the State.

Speaking on Friday, July 26, 2024 at a Public Hearing on the Rivers State Transport Authority Reform Bill organizined by the State House of Assembly in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Oko-Jumbo said the 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 incidents currently being experienced by residents of Port Harcourt and other parts of the State, adding that it will also enable the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to have adequate knowledge of its members.

The Speaker informed that the bill will also check incessant boat mishaps along waterways in the State, while all incidences of wreckages occasioned by broken down vehicles and vessels along the waterways will be checked.

He further informed that the bill will lead to the establishment of designated buss tops and streets, thereby bringing sanity to the state transportation system.

Recall that Victor Oko-Jumbo, who is the member representing Bonny Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly had, on Thursday, January 11, 2024, promised during a condolence visit to some bereaved families at Amariari Fishing Settlement in Finima Community in Bonny GA to legislate for safer waterways and transport sector reforms.  

Part of the agenda of the public hearing was for the State Assembly to repeal the Rivers State Road Traffic Management Agency (TIMARIV) Law, which Oko-Jumbo said had become necessary in order to avoid conflict with the Rivers State Transport Authority Reform Bill 2024.

He explained that though TIMARIV was disbanded, the law setting it up has not been repealed thus it was necessary that the legal framework is retweaked to obviate any complexities.

The Speaker applauded the active participation and contributions of the stakeholders in attendance, pledging to support the actualisation of the bill for the good of Rivers State.

The public hearing on the State Transport Authority Reform Bill 2024 had in attendance stakeholders ranging from civil society organisations, key transportation sector players, the media and the general public in attendance.

The Deputy Speaker, Oruibienimigha Adolphus, who is the sponsor of the Bill presided over the public hearing which held at the auditorium of the Rivers State Ministry of Women Affairs, Port Harcourt.

The day’s proceedings featured diverse contributions from the various stakeholders in attendance which was moderated by the sponsor of the Bill, who remarked that the general inputs would be helpful for the fine tuning of the Bill before its final adoption.