The Road Transport Board (RTB) task force, comprising members of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Traffic Division, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development’s (MID) Land Transport Management Service Division (LTMSD), and the Honiara City Council (HCC) Law Enforcement department, successfully conducted their inaugural joint operation on New Year’s Eve (30th and 31st December 2025), resulting in more than 130 vehicles flagged for detailed inspection.
A third operation was conducted on Tuesday night 6th January where more than 20 vehicles were detained due to expired licenses and registrations.
Three checkpoints were established at the Honiara City Council Roundabout at the eastbound and westbound lanes and MID headquarters gates, manned by members of the task force.
RTB in a statement on Wednesday reflected, “The majority of the vehicles are called in due to illegal modifications. The use of non-standard colored light, such as under-glow, extra LEDs, and “disco” lights, is a common violation.
“Under the amended Road Transport Act 2009 regulation, vehicles are required to use factory-installed lighting.
“Only white and amber beam lights are permitted on the front, red or amber on the rear, and white for the plates.
“Any other colors are illegal, as they pose a risk of causing confusion for oncoming drivers and visibility issues and are reserved for emergency vehicles only.
“Other vehicles are called in due to mechanical defects, drunk driving, and invalid or expired driving licenses and registrations.
“Vehicle owners or operators are urged to fix their vehicles and adhere to traffic rules for the safety of all road users in Honiara and even the provinces,” the statement said.
The statement furthermore reminded drivers (vehicle owners) that according to regulations, permits are valid for daytime use only (sunrise to sunset).
“The permit does not apply to night hours, as a number of drivers were warned about this during the night’s operation.
“For a start, our team was lenient—allowing drivers to remove lights on the spot—this serves as a warning,” the statement explained.
HCC also reminded drivers and operators of public transport service providers to pay up their annual business license fees.
Superintendent William Foufaka, Director of the National Traffic Department, praised the operations as a success.
“Our vision is to have a strong collaboration with supporting agencies of the RTB, and this first campaign demonstrates what we have envisioned since past years.
“This joint operation manifests what we can achieve by augmenting our operational capacity with the expert mechanical team and HCC,” the traffic director said.
He reminded them that road safety remains their top priority.
Supt. Foufaka thanked all drivers for their cooperation and wait time during the operation.
He further warned, “These first operations serve as awareness, but as we continue into the year, our team will be serious and start imposing fines and referrals to the court.”
Director of MID’s Land Transport Management Service Division (LTMSD), Leslie Nate, who is also the acting secretary of the RTB, said this is just the beginning.
“There are gaps that we have identified during these operations that will be strengthened as we continue our operations throughout this year.
“We are aware that more vehicles are non-compliant and are still running on the road. This is also the same for major provincial centers.
“Moving forward we will continue to boost our awareness; thus, it is advisable for vehicle owners to fix their defects, remove colored lightings, and update papers,” Mr. Nate said, adding that reviews for amendments to the road transport act will be tabled in parliament this year.
He further reminded drivers to carry their licenses with them at all times to help avoid delays at the checkpoint.
The RTB, formerly known as the Highway Authority, since its establishment in 2009 under the amended Road Transport Act, has experienced periods of inactivity due to limited funding.
With a renewed effort under the leadership of MID’s Minister Hon. Ricky Fuo’o, the board has recently undergone strengthening initiatives in the third and fourth quarters of last year.
Key activities include the launch of the board’s official logo and the allocation of six dedicated patrol vehicles equipped with sirens and decals—thanks to support from the Australian Government.
The board’s composition: Permanent Secretary to the Ministry responsible for transport (MID) as the chairperson, Clerk to the Honiara City Council (HCC), Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Commissioner, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS), Permanent Secretary for the Ministry responsible for Commerce, Inland Revenue Division representative, Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Director of LTMSD.
This board is responsible for formulating, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing policies related to road transport, in conjunction with the ministry’s functions of developing national transport policy.
This includes overseeing taxi and bus fares, routes, and the management of road signage and markings. It works closely with the ministry’s vehicle inspector, the police traffic department, and the Inland Revenue Division.
Furthermore, this board’s task force has the authority to initiate and conduct prosecutions for offenses under the Act, its regulations, or the Highway Code, subject to the directives of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
– MID
