A police officer counts "fine" for the car he's leaning against after the traffic officer who impounded it demanded 10,000 SSP for its release in April 2019 at Buluk | Credit | Ayuen Panchol/Eye Radio

The Transitional National Legislative Assembly has condemned the crackdown on vehicles with factory tints.

There are thousands of vehicles with tinted windows in Juba. They are mostly imported from Japan, through Kenya and Uganda.

On Monday, motorists woke up to harassment and intimidation by joint security force – comprising of the traffic, police, and members of the army.

They have been deployed to various roundabouts and intersections in Juba.

The forces say they are acting on orders of the minister of interior, Michael Chiangjiek.

However, motorists who spoke to Eye Radio say the traffic police department has been impounding cars and taking them to a compound at Buluk where they force, harass and intimidate owners into paying as high as 20,000 pounds as a fine for tinted windows.

“These tinted vehicles did not enter here without the relevant authorities being aware of them. The Ministry of Interior, Customs and security organs are well aware of it,” said Hon. Paul Yoane, the chairperson for information at the TNLA.

“So the question is, why did we allow the tinted cars to enter the country and again claim that it is illegal and then you claim one needs to pay this or that?”

Hon. Yoane went on to say that the minister of interior and the director of the traffic police department will soon be summoned to appear before the august house over the order.

“….the assembly will not waste time but will have to summon the minister of interior and especially the director-general of traffic to appear before the house,” he continued.

He said the senior officials will explain what laws they applied and the processes they undertook to arrive at the order.

“Have they brought this thing [order] to any committee of the assembly? Or has it come through the Council of Ministers, because we need to operate through the laws?”

Last year, the then director of the traffic department, Gen. John Akot, reversed a similar order because it lacked basis.