Cross River Grants Free Vehicle Registration, Levy Waivers to Female and Elderly Commercial Drivers.

Cross River Grants Free Vehicle Registration, Levy Waivers to Female and Elderly Commercial Drivers.

The Cross River State Government has introduced a transport sector relief package exempting female commercial drivers and drivers aged 60 and above from vehicle registration fees and daily operational levies.

The policy, announced by the Chairman of the Cross River State Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency (CTRA), Efa Nyong, is part of broader reforms aimed at reducing the financial burden on transport operators and improving the ease of doing business in the state.

Under the new arrangement, commercial drivers aged 60 and above will be registered free of charge and exempted from operational levies. Female commercial drivers will also benefit from free registration and will not be required to pay regulatory fees, according to reports on the policy.

The CTRA said the measures were introduced in response to prevailing economic pressures affecting drivers and transport operators. The agency has also reduced the number of traffic offences under its regulatory framework from 35 to four.

The remaining offences reportedly include refusal to register a vehicle, failure to purchase daily operational toll tickets, overloading and failure to use seat belts. Penalties for the listed offences range from ₦5,000 to ₦10,000.

The reforms are intended to reduce unnecessary regulatory pressure and harassment while maintaining essential road-safety standards. However, the continued enforcement of rules relating to overloading and seat belt use highlights the government’s stated effort to balance economic relief with public safety.

The CTRA has also indicated plans to establish an insurance scheme for registered commercial drivers, which could provide support to families in the event of a driver’s death. The proposed initiative is expected to further strengthen welfare protections within the state’s commercial transport sector.

The Cross River policy comes as transport operators across Nigeria continue to face rising operating costs, making targeted regulatory relief increasingly significant for vulnerable groups, including women and older drivers.