Picture: A tinted Japanese car passenger window. Car manufacturers say a black window film blocks 99% of the sun's harmful rays. Some private car owners tint the windows for privacy reasons. And the traffic department claims some motorists “hide other people’s wives and daughters behind the tinted windows

The Inspector General of Police has redirected the traffic police department to once again crackdown on vehicles with tinted windows and impose driving test assessment, according to the Director General of traffic police, Major General Kon John Akot.

The directives have been issued several times which were criticized by the public and lawmakers who termed them as ‘another way of intimidating, harass and extorting money from drivers’.

Most of the motorists have said the officers from both national and Central Equatoria State traffic departments have “descended hard” on them along the main roads.

According to General Kon, the IGP has directed the traffic department to resume the crackdown across the country.

General Kon said due to complaints from the public that the traffic police officers are issuing licenses to motorists without undergoing the right procedures, they established a department of testing to screen and ensure those driving vehicles are authorized by the authorities.

“If any motorist resists this order, just take his name, the vehicle number plate and his work institution. We will take this report to the IGP,” he told SSBC on Monday.

The traffic act, 2003, does not criminalize tinted car windows.

In South Sudan, a lack of information surrounding laws and policies can make it difficult for ordinary citizens to spot corrupt activities being carried out by the authorities.

So Eye Radio has been publicizing public concerns over corrupt practices involving traffic police.

It continued to engage lawmakers, lawyers, activists and the public on the extortion challenges after the harassment resumed.

Last year, the head of the traffic police department, General Kon told Eye Radio in an exclusive interview that he had detained 85 police officers and dismissed 8 over extortion of motorists in Juba.