It has come to the public attention that there were vehicles plying the different routes within Juba City without number plates. This is happening even after the introduction of the latest number plates. The vehicles that belong to the owners in question are commonly seen along Juba – Airport Road, where traffic officials are not commonly available. But even if they were present, would they have waged a clampdown on those sleek (luxurious) cars? At some places where the traffic police operate, vehicles and motorbikes are thoroughly checked to ensure that each is operating according to the traffic rules and regulations. However, the situation is seemingly exceptional at the aforementioned route. Certainly, this raises question of whether rules and regulations apply to all citizens regardless of political or financial status. Of course we do not know what positions the owners of those vehicles hold in the country, but we see them roaming the streets of Juba with lavish vehicles bearing no number plates. Someone laughably said when the traffic police are to investigate these people, the possibility that some of them may not possess driving licenses is high. This reminds us of ‘The Animal Kingdom’, a sterling literature piece produced by the Late George Orwell in which he said “Though all animals are created equal, some are more equal than others”. Orwell’s narrative is applying in this case scenario. When someone bows before the traffic law and the other stretches above it and yet he or she is not penalized, it is an indication that we live in the same society but we are not equal at all. We appreciate the efforts of the traffic police to ensure that every motorist is abiding by the law. But we will actually appreciate them more if this law is applied equally regardless of a person’s political, financial or cultural status.
