The Rivers State Government has announced that enforcement of the enumeration of commercial vehicles and the mandatory state colour painting scheme will commence in October 2026 as part of measures to tackle kidnapping, “one chance” robberies and other transport-related crimes.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Transport, Dr. Vera Dike, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ strategic meeting on commuter safety held on Thursday in Port Harcourt. The meeting brought together transport unions, security agencies and other stakeholders.
Dr. Dike said the initiative is aimed at strengthening security, improving accountability and restoring public confidence in the state’s transport system.
According to her, criminals have exploited the anonymity within the commercial transport sector to perpetrate robbery, kidnapping, vehicle theft and “one chance” attacks, making it imperative for government to introduce stricter regulations.
She explained that the exercise is not intended to punish transport operators but to establish a comprehensive database of genuine commercial transport operators in Rivers State.
“Under the programme, every registered operator will receive an official enumeration certificate and a unique identification number after painting their vehicles in the approved Rivers State colours of sky blue and white”.
She noted that the database would support security agencies in identifying legitimate operators, tracking criminal activities, improving emergency response, enhancing transport planning and eliminating illegal transport operations.
Dr. Dike urged transport unions, vehicle owners, drivers and other stakeholders to support the programme by registering their vehicles, complying with the colour scheme and displaying their enumeration numbers.
Also speaking, the Director of Land Transport in the Ministry, Engr. Andrew Alapuberesisika, said the government has directed the dismantling of all illegal loading bays and unauthorized motor parks across the state.
He stated that all commercial buses and tricycles must be painted in the approved state colours before the end of September, warning that enforcement would begin in October.
According to him, the enumeration numbers will be boldly displayed on both sides of vehicles to enable passengers and security agencies to easily identify operators and trace vehicles involved in criminal activities.
He added that transport unions would nominate representatives to work with the ministry in a joint enforcement team to ensure compliance.
Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Rivers State Council, Boma Tom-George, welcomed the policy and pledged the union’s support, saying members would be sensitised on the need to comply.
He, however, appealed to the government to consider extending the implementation timeline due to the rainy season and the cost of repainting vehicles.
Similarly, the State Chairman of the Commercial Drivers Welfare Association, Christopher Ezechi, described the initiative as commendable but urged the government to complement it with improved security infrastructure, including street lights and CCTV surveillance.
Ezechi argued that while vehicle painting would aid identification, many “one chance” crimes are committed with private vehicles, making broader security measures necessary to effectively curb the menace.
