The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FRSC

  • FRSC to build rumble strides on road near UNIBEN

    FRSC to build rumble strides on road near UNIBEN

    The Edo State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is to build rumble strides at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) main gate axis of the Benin-Lagos Expressway to prevent further deaths from accidents on the road.

    A female student in the Department of Philosophy was knocked down recently by an Army patrol vehicle when she was going to church.

    Another female student, who was also hit, has been stabilised and admitted at the institution’s health centre.

    UNIBEN students angrily blocked the highway, causing a heavy traffic.

    They demanded the construction of flyover on the highway.

    The students built a speed breaker on the highway after several hours of protest.

    A visit to UNIBEN main gate showed that a zebra crossing was being drawn on the road.

    FRSC’s Unit Commander Ameen Adewale said the zebra crossing would be completed by today.

    He said the construction of rumble strides on the expressway would slow down traffic on the road.

    Adewale said: “Rumble strides will be the answer to the problems on that road. Vehicles will slow down. Street bumps will not work on the road. The one done by the students has been knocked away by vehicles.”

    Also, the Edo State House of Assembly has passed a resolution, urging UNIBEN authorities and other relevant agencies to save the students from further deaths.

    The resolution was passed after the lawmaker representing Ovia North East I, Sunday Osazemwinde, presented the issue under matters of urgent public importance.

    Deputy Speaker Bright Osayande said the school authorities should have placed a zebra crossing on the road, instead of waiting for the government, to prevent more deaths from similar accidents.

  • Relocate beggars, hawkers from highways, FRSC urges Amosun

    OGUN State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Adegoke Adetunji has appealed to Governor Ibikunle Amosun to assist in evacuating beggars off the Sango-Ota Bridge.

    No fewer than 100 beggars, he said, besieged the bridge daily, hindering the flow of traffic.

    Adegoke said this is against the traffic regulations.

    He spoke at the yearly campaign/enlightenment organised by Ota Unit Command in conjunction with Shell Nigeria Gas Limited for road users at the Sango Main Park.

    Adetunji was answering questions on the accident on the bridge that killed three and a similar mishap on Benin/Sagamu Expressway in which 13 Olabisi Onabanjo University students died.

    The Sango crash, he said, was caused by a Scania Truck with registration number TTD 219 XA which rammed into some commercial vehicles which have turned the bridge into a garage.

    The FRSC chief said the fatality could have been more, if the vehicle had run into the beggars on the bridge.

    He also appealed Amosun to relocate  hawkers on the expressway and all roads in the state, saying this would enhance free flow of traffic and enable haulage vehicles to manoeuvre in case of brake failure.

    He said: “75 per cent of the expressway starting from toll gate to Sango has been occupied by traders. This is dangerous and worrisome should accident occur.”

    Adetunji urged tipper owners and Independent Petroleum Marketers to stop using underage drivers and ensure that their vehicles are in good shape before embarking on a journey.

    The FRSC, he said, is partnering with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) across all the states, to regulate the trucks that would be used for haulage and ensure that rickety ones are taken off the roads.

    Any haulage truck that doesn’t meet the required standard will not be allowed to move on the road, while any under-age driver would be arrested and prosecuted, Adetunji said.

    Adetunji enjoined all tipper/truck owners to ensure that speed limiters are installed in their vehicles before the September deadline.

    Any commercial vehicle caught without the device after the deadline, he said, would be impounded and the driver prosecuted.

    Adegoke said two drivers must henceforth accompany trucks embarking on a long journey.

    This, he said, would guarantee that no driver drives more than the normal four hours at a stretch and observe at least 30 minutes rest.

    The Ota Unit Commander, Mr Matthew Olonisaye, urged vehicle owners and other road users to respect traffic laws, especially during raining season.

    According to Olonisaye, the public enlightenment is imperative because the Corps is saddled with the responsibility of creating a safer motoring environment through sensitisation, education, regulation and enforcement of traffic laws.

    He appealed to motorists to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition before going on a journey to avoid endangering other road users.

    He urged vehicle owners to ensure they use good tyres.

    Tyres, according to him, come with expiry dates, once a tyre begins to wear-out, it becomes more likely to be slippery on a wet road and this can lead to accident.

    Tyres, Olonisaye said have four years life span and the expiration starts from the manufacturing date e.g.”4002″. The first two numbers “40”, he said, represents the year of manufacture.

    He urged the vehicles owners to note the manufacturing and expiring dates while buying tyres, and warned against the use of fairly used tyres.

    Olonisaye urged drivers to ensure greatest caution when driving in rain or at night. Windshield, wipers, pointers, headlights and rear lights must be working perfectly. He reiterated that eyes, hands and brains must be in good shape, adding that compliance to speed limits is required.

    He appealed to all drivers to ensure the use of seatbelts and avoid drunk driving and overloading.

    Commercial drivers are enjoined to comply strictly with the use of passengers’ manifest for the identification of all passengers in case of accidents.

    The Chairman, Ado/Odo-Ota Local Government, Mr Rotimi Abdulrahman, urged the drivers to be defensive drivers.

  • FRSC tackles gridlock in Aba

    FRSC tackles gridlock in Aba

    Apart from bad roads and poor electricity supply, traffic congestion is another headache of residents of Aba, the commercial hub of the region. The good news: Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is tackling it.

    This gridlock usually occurs during the morning and evening rush hours but sometimes even in the afternoon too.

    Apart from about 40 per cent of the intra-city roads in the commercial town, other factors that constitute gridlock include broken down and sometimes abandoned vehicles which sometimes stay on the road for up to a month or more before they are removed from the road.

    Regular visitors to the commercial city would attest to the frustration of motorists driving in or out of the town. Such motorists are often trapped in traffic especially along the Aba-Owerri Road leading in and out of the city through the Osisioma axis.

    Mercifully, the Aba unit of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has begun evacuation of abandoned vehicles on major roads and streets in the commercial town.

    In a chat with The Nation, the Aba Unit Commander, FRSC, Mrs. Okora Awassam said that the need to keep the roads free from traffic congestion cannot be overemphasised.

    Awassam regretting the high level of indiscipline among drivers in Aba said that the agency would to tow vehicles abandoned on the road to their office along the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway which would be released to the owner after the payment of fine.

    “For weeks now, we have been going round clearing some of the abandoned vehicles on the road with our towing truck that was brought to us some weeks and within the period of time that we are going to be with the truck, it will be used to tow vehicles off the road and will be taken to our command unit where the driver or the owner of the vehicle will pay some fine before he will be allowed to leave with the vehicle.

    “What we need the public to do is to let us know where a broken down vehicle is abandoned on the road which is preventing free flow of traffic, we will definitely be there. We also have our bike person who uses the bike to rove round the streets and where it was spotted that a car is blocking or preventing free-flow of traffic, our towing van will be called upon to come and remove such on the road.

    “If you notice very well, you will see that we have started also removing abandoned cars on the expressway too. You will notice that some people after their vehicle breaks down on the road will leave it for a long time which is not in the interest of drivers and other road users because sometimes some drivers unknowingly ram into such stationary car. So, all we need from the public is for them to provide us with the right information and the exact location”.

    The FRSC boss who warned drivers especially commercial drivers to avoid drunk driving, disclosed that the agency would continue to engage the drivers from time-to-time with various awareness campaign exercises in their respective parks to ensure that the drivers imbibed the road safety consciousness and always have in mind that not only that they need to drive their passengers safely to their destinations, their (drivers family) also need them to come back home alive.

  • FRSC: new number plates for tankers soon

    FRSC: new number plates for tankers soon

    THE Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) will soon begin the issuance of new number plates for certified and articulated vehicles as part of strategies to ensure safety on roads.

    The commission is focusing more on the regulation of tanker and truck operations following the loss of 56 lives and property last month.

    Corps Marshal Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi said this in Abuja during a meeting of stakeholders in haulage transportation to discuss permanent solutions to incessant crashes involving tankers.

    He said the unique number plates would only be issued to tankers that have passed all the verification process of the commission.

    The new number plates will be at no extra cost to vehicle owners, the corps marshal said.

    “We have started implementation of new number plates for tankers, trailers and trucks for effective monitoring of their compliance to road safety measures.

    “During various meetings with stakeholders, we all agreed on several measures to reduce crashes on our roads, which include enforcement of policies.

    “We will synchronise our data with that of Petroleum and Tanker Drivers (PTD) in the ongoing data collection of its members across the country,” he said.

    Oyeyemi said the commission would partner with Vehicle Inspection Offices (VIO) to ensure the success of the policy and called for capacity building of VIOs by state governments.

  • ARIAN partners FRSC on awareness

    The Association of Registered Insurance Agents (ARIAN) is  partnering the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to create  awreness on motor insurance policy.

    ARIAN President, Gbadebo Olamerun, during a visit to the Zonal Commander Officer, Zone RS2, FRSC, Nseobong Akpabio, said the deal with the FRSC was to enhance its sensitisation on motor insurance.

    He noted that ARIAN was sensitising Nigerians on the importance of third party motor insurance.

    He explained the least motor insurance is the third party, which requires N5000 as premium.

    He noted that motorists could get claims of about N1 million when an accident occurs.

    He stressed that despite that motor insurance is mandatory, only few motorists have genuine insurance certificates.

    This, according to him, has hindered the insurance growth.

    The Zonal Commander said road users would be more careful while driving when they have genuine motor insurance.

    He said in some countries, road users were more careful while driving because their insurance company do not increase their premium due to bad driving.

    “FRSC believes that insurance will improve safety on Nigerian roads and that is why we are willing to partner with insurance operators to sensitise the road users.

    “With insurance, more awareness will be created for better road use in the country.

    “At present, we have a list of registered insurance companies on our website and we urge Nigerians to visit it so that they are guided on genuine insurance companies,” he added.

  • FRSC to commence issuance of new number plates to articulated vehicles July 1

    FRSC to commence issuance of new number plates to articulated vehicles July 1

    The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), says it will commence issuance of new number plates for articulated vehicles as part of strategies to ensure safety on the roads.

    The Corps Marshal of the commission, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, made this known in Abuja on Friday while briefing newsmen on its activities.

    According to Oyeyemi, the new number plates will be at no extra cost to vehicle owners.

    “We have started implementation of new number plates for tankers, trailers and trucks for effective monitoring of their compliance to road safety measures.

    “During various meetings with stakeholders, we all agreed on several measures to reduce crashes on our roads which include enforcement of policies.

    “We will synchronize our data with that of Petroleum and Tanker Drivers (PTD) in the ongoing data collection of its members across the country,” he said.

    Oyeyemi said the commission would partner with Vehicle Inspection Offices (VIO) across the country to ensure the success of the policy and called for capacity building of VIOs by state governments.

    The corps marshal also reiterated the enforcement of speed limit device installation in all commercial vehicles by Sept 1.

    He said that the commission focused more on the regulation of tanker and truck operations in the country following loss of 56 lives and property especially in June.

    SSANU stage protest over FG refusal to fund primary schools, threaten strike

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) said on Friday that it would resist moves by the Federal Government to stop the payment of salaries of teachers of University Demonstration Primary Schools (UDPS).

    The union’s National Vice-President, Eastern region, Dr Leku Ador, led members in their hundreds to stage a protest at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) campus in Choba, Rivers.

    Ador said that the union was protesting a circular which directed Vice-Chancellors of federal universities to stop accommodating UDPS teachers in universities emolument structure.

    “Recently, we received a circular from the Federal Ministry of Education with intent to disengage from the funding of UDPS in the country.

    “National Salaries and Wages Commission together with the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) and the Ministry of Education were part of our negotiation in SSANU-Federal Government 2009 agreement.

    “This agreement contained, among others, that government will continue to fund UDPS-Staff schools in our various federal universities,” he said.

    Ador said the move by the Federal Government to stop funding of the schools would result to a hike in school fees and sack of teachers as private operators of the schools, might not retain them.

    According to him, university lecturers, other staff members and indigenes from host communities send their children and wards to the UDPS as its fees are affordable.

    The unionist queried why government would withdraw funding UDPS and not extend same to Command schools of the Navy, Army, Air Force and Unity Schools.

    “Teachers in Demonstration Primary Schools have the same appointment letters like other staff in the university, and so, why would government single them out and leave others?

    “Command schools which take far more funding from the Federal Government are not in that report which only points to marginalisation of our teachers.

    “It will be wrong for government to reduce cost of governance by retrenching workers, especially when salary and allowance of one parliamentarian is equivalent to salaries of 100 teachers combined,” he said.

    Ador called on President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the matter by directing the Federal Ministry of Education to rescind the circular.

    He said that failure to do so would force the union’s National Executive Committee to convene a meeting that might lead to total withdrawal of their services from tertiary institutions.

    “The industrial action which will be unprecedented, will not only affect students and the education sector, but will question President Buhari’s promise of creating employment for Nigerians,” the labour leader said.

    Some teachers who spoke to a correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), expressed displeasure with the move by the Federal Ministry of Education.

    The teachers (names withheld) who were emotionally shaken by the development, said life would be difficult if they were retrenched from work.

  • Court stops FRSC from arresting owners of ‘old’ licences

    Court stops FRSC from arresting owners of ‘old’ licences

    The Federal High Court in Lagos has held that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) cannot arrest any motorist for not having the new driver’s licence if the old version is yet to expire.

    Ruling on a suit brought by a lawyer, Mr Tope Alabi, Justice John Tsoho granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining FRSC “from compelling the valid driver licence holders, including the plaintiff to renew same when such driver licences have not expired.”

    Alabi, who jointed the National Assembly, FRSC and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as respondents, had prayed the court to hold that by several sections of the FRSC Act, No. 22, 2007, the corps’ bid to control the production and issuance of number plates and driver licences is unconstitutional, null and void.

    He prayed the court to hold that going by the provisions of sections 4 and 5 of the 2011 Constitution, the production and issuance of number plates and driver licences is a residual matter within the exclusive legislative and executive competence of states.

    The court, however, held that he was bound by the Court of Appeal decision which affirmed FRSC’s powers to issue licenses and plate numbers.

    However, he made an order restraining the defendants “from cracking down on those, including the plaintiff, still using their existing registered number plates on their vehicles.”

    He further restrained the defendants “from cracking down on those, including the plaintiff, still using unexpired drivers licences pending the time within which same will expire and due for renewal.”

    Alabi said FRSC had vowed that there was “no going back on September deadline for all Nigerians to replace their Number plates and renew their unexpired drivers licences.”

    He said it was in the interest of justice to allow valid driver licence holders to make use of them pending when they will expire or be due for renewal.

  • FRSC official hospitalised after accident

    FRSC official hospitalised after accident

    An official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Aba Unit, Mr. Victor Mbakaogu has been hospitalised and left in a critical condition after he was knocked down by a motorist yesterday.

    The incident, it was gathered happened in front of the Aba command of the FRSC on the Aba-Umuahia axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway  while the victim was on duty.

    Eye witnesses said the victim hit his head on the ground and broke his jaw after the car hit him.

    Mbakaogu was said to have been rushed to a private hospital for treatment.

    Unit Commander Okora Awassam confirmed the incident. She said Mbakaogu was responding to treatment.

    Awassam said the driver has been arrested and put in detention.

    “The officer didn’t stop the driver. He was standing beside the road in front of our office when the driver suddenly veered off the road, hit him and sped off.

    “My personnel landed on the road with his head and broke his jaw. He is currently receiving medical attention and we thank God he is responding to treatment.

    “The driver was arrested in a nearby village, not too far from the scene of the incident by a good Samaritan and others who witnessed it,” Awassam said.

     

  • Reckless driver knocks down FRSC staff

    Reckless driver knocks down FRSC staff

    A staff of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Aba Unit, identified as Mr. Victor Mbakaogu has reportedly been hospitalized and left in a critical condition after he was allegedly knocked down by a reckless motorist.

    The incident, The Nation gathered happened in front of the Aba Command of FRSC along Aba-Umuahia axis of Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, Wednesday morning while the victim was on duty.

    Sources who witnessed the incident said that the FRSC official after being hit by the driver hit his head on the ground and broke his jaw in the process which left him with bruises and bleeding mouth.

    Mbakaogu was said to have been rushed to a private hospital immediately where he is currently receiving medical attention.

    The Aba FRSC Unit Commander, Okora Awassam in an interview confirmed the incident, adding that the staff has been responding to treatment as process of stitching the broken jaw had already begun.

    She also confirmed that the said driver have equally been arrested and in detention.

    “The officer didn’t even stop the driver. He was just standing beside the road in front of our office when the driver suddenly veered off the road and hit him. Immediately he did that, he sped off.

    “My personnel landed on the road with his head and in the process broke his jaws. He is currently receiving medical attention and we thank God that he is responding to treatment.

    “I don’t know why the man did that because like I said the officer didn’t stop the driver. He was just standing by the roadside when he was hit by the driver. So, I don’t know why the driver should veer off the road to hit him.

    “The driver was arrested in a nearby village, not too far from the scene of the incidence by a good Samaritan and other drivers that saw how the incident happened. If not that the drivers were so kind to have gone after the man, he would have escaped just like that,” Awassam narrated

     

  • Enugu to partner FRSC to boost IGR

    Enugu to partner FRSC to boost IGR

    Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has said his administration will partner the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

    The governor spoke yesterday when a delegation of the FRSC, led by its Corps Marshal and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Boboye Oyeyemi visited him.

    The governor said the commission’s request for more work stations was a welcome development that would increase the state’s revenue.

    Governor Ugwuanyi thanked the commission for its cooperation and partnership, urging it to continue with programmes and policies that would assist his administration to realise its electoral promises on employment generation and investment promotion.

    He hailed the commission for its proposed plan to decongest the popular 9th Mile Corner before the festive season.

    Oyeyemi said they were at the Government House to felicitate with Ugwuanyi and request more partnership for increased capacity building and work stations in order to boost the state’s IGR.

    He said Enugu has contributed its quota towards the commission’s progress, adding that it had designed a short term measure to avert the problems encountered at the 9th Mile Corner.