Rivers Taxi Driver Takes Extreme Measure To Escape Traffic Fine

file: TIMARIV at work
file: TIMARIV at work

A taxi driver who refused to allow officials of the Rivers State Traffic Management Authority popular known as TIMARIV, to impound his vehicle along the Port Harcourt-Aba Road, Port Harcourt, created a scene.

The taxi driver, not minding he was on a highway, stayed under his Mitsubishi saloon car when it became apparent that the TIMARIV officials would not heed to his plea for leniency.

He remained under the vehicle and told the traffic officials and one armed policeman at the scene that he would prefer to be crushed with his car than allow it to be impounded.

The driver was said to have been tracked down by the traffic officials before he was caught in traffic around the Waterlines area of Port Harcourt-Aba Road.

An eyewitness who spoke to PUNCH said that the driver, who wasn’t aware that TIMARIV officials were on his trail, had driven on a wrong lane.

The state traffic management authority had set a fine of between N20,000 and N100,000 for errant drivers who would like to retrieve their seized vehicles.

The driver’s refusal to leave where he was lying down was said to have attracted a large crowd that came to the scene to appeal to him to come out.

“I will not come out. It is better for me to be crushed with my car than allow TIMARIV to seize it while I am still alive. I have children at home and when the car is seized, I would have no money to get it back,” the driver said repeatedly.

The traffic officials, who tried in vain to pull him out from under the car, decided to wait patiently as his antics was not appealing to them. But he stayed under the vehicle for over 40 minutes until they decided to forgive him.

It was after he had been assured that his vehicle would not be impounded, that the driver came out from under the car.

Chief Traffic Controller of TIMARIV, Mr. Confidence Eke, who confirmed the incident said the management of the agency had told its officials not to inflict injury on any motorists.

He expressed satisfaction over the manner the matter was handled, explaining that it was better to allow the driver go than to inflict injury on him.

“It was an extreme action for the driver to run under his vehicle in order to stop it from being impounded. We have told our officials not to force motorists.

“We have also told them not to inflict injury on them. They actually did well to have allowed the driver to go in order to avoid anything untoward,” Eke said.