Vehicle owners warned: Get licence or stay off the road

Papua

GULF police commander Silva Sika has warned owners of unlicenced public vehicles not to use them on the Hiritano Highway into the province.
Sika told The National that he wanted people living along the highway to travel safely during the festive season.
“Unlicensed route PMVs will be held accountable for breaking traffic laws,” Sika said.
He said the 25-seater buses had been traveling to Gulf to buy betel nut and carry passengers.
He warned that drivers would be penalised on the spot.
“The PMV buses must have Route 600 licence to enter Gulf. They travel the route in NCD, Central then to Gulf so they must have a proper route licence”.
Sika said the Christmas police operations had started and urged travellers not to use the unlicenced PMVs.
“It is not safe for passengers getting on the buses with betel-nut loaded and travelling the highway with the driver, intending not to be caught by police, moves at a very fast speed,” he said.
“We want to avoid accidents this festive season and also ask the betel nut sellers to slow down the betel nut trade.”