They are charged with circulating forbidden zones in the port city.

A joint operation by the forces of law and order and the Douala City Council has brought to a standstill the activities of motorcycle owners who violated Administrative bans against the circulation of motorcycles in Bonapriso and Deido.

The operation which continues this week follows a report in Cameroon Tribune (19 January 2015) of the flagrant violation of the bans by some riders and the rising crime waves in the sector, as well as the issuance of a Prefectoral Order last January to reinforce the application of the ban. Stationed at the Douala City Council in Youpwe, each of the motorcycles is pending collection on payment of FCFA 25,000 as penalty for circulating any of the zones and FCFA 5,000 for each day spent at the City Council.

“It is barely two weeks since we started reinforcing the application of the ban. We are ensuring that the operation will be regular and extends to all forbidden zones in the city,” says a Municipal Police who asked not to be named.

Besides commercial uses, some of the motorcycles which have been impounded belong to companies, while others were used by individuals as a private transport means. He explained that circulation in the zones of Deido, Bonapriso, Bali and Bonanjo is forbidden to all motorcycles regardless of their purposes unless with an authorisation from the Prefect to circulate the areas. The operation to seize motorcycles continues across all forbidden neighbourhoods.