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Tag: FRSC

  • How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    Driving  schools that issued their certificates to candidates without the information of the candidates submitted to FRSC website and/or supervising Unit commands (Spanning the three months duration) should be sanctioned.

    d. All driving schools should submit the list of candidates they presented for licence processing on monthly basis to the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) as a form of checks and balances.

    e. There should be a monthly interactive session of the FRSC with the National Executive Officers of the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) to deliberate on the level of compliance by the FRSC and the Driving Schools FRSC Licence production Department should give the officers of the Association (ADIN) the privilege of seeing the list of candidates presented for licence production every month and compare with the list submitted by its members to know the level of compliance and effectiveness.

    This if done will also put a stop to the cloning and unauthorised use of Driving School certificates by FRSC, VIO and MVAA for Driver Licence racketeering.

    f. Possession or use of the old licence should be declared illegal and any candidate holding the old driver licence and the fake new licence should be arrested and prosecuted. There must be open air announcements to enlighten Nigerians on this.

    g. It is a truism that safety of irreparable lives and valuable properties must not be compromised. It therefore behoves the authorities of the Federal Road Safety Commission and other stakeholders, not to give room to favouritism in the implementation of the above-mentioned steps, no matter the status or position of the candidates either in the government or private sector.

    h. The Federal Road Safety Commission should embark on secret monitoring of driving schools and FRSC capturing centres/Licence production Department to ensure full compliance with the steps suggested above.

    i. Call a stakeholders meeting comprising representatives of FRSC, State VIO, MVAA and Association of Driving Schools (ADIN) and notify them of the new policy and procedures to enhance confidence and compliance.

    The above are just our suggestions to your goodselves for consideration based on our experience and findings in the past few years.

    We are very confident that if strictly implemented, they will put an end to the sharp practices hitherto perpetrated by driving schools (Certified and Uncertified), FRSC, MVAA and VIO. This will also go a very long way in further boosting the accomplishment of the objectives of the graduated Driver Licensing Scheme as well as the reduction of road traffic crashes and fatalities in Nigeria.

    Any government official, driving school, organisation or individual that is still opposed to the adoption and implementation of the steps suggested above is either a direct or indirect beneficiary of the driver licence racketeering conspiracy or ignorant of the workability of the graduated driver licensing scheme.

    It is time for the Federal Government, State Governments, National Assembly, State Assemblies and the Judiciary to rise up to their responsibilities as touching Road Safety in Nigeria to reduce the rate of road  crashes and fatalities in Nigeria. Let us all put a stop to lip service while innocent lives and valuable property are wasting away on the  roads everyday.

  • FRSC takes campaign to churches, mosques

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has sought divine intervention in ensuring sanity on the roads.

    At a church service at Rhema Christian Church in Sango, the Ota, Ogun State Unit Commander of FRSC Mr. Olufemi Olonisaye said taking safety campaigns to churches and mosques were part of the strategic measures for meeting the Corps’ 2015 target of reduction of crashes.

    He said: “Members of the corps have been mandated to embark on aggressive enlightenment campaign that would include churches, mosques and schools. We have to ensure that motorists know and adhere to the safety tips while driving and should not violate traffic rules and regulations.”

    Olonisaye urged motorists to always drive to stay alive, saying the non-use of seat is of concern to the commission.

    Seat belt, he said, have proved to reduce injuries as they are designed to hold people back on their seats during a crash. Seat belts also minimise contact between the occupant and vehicle interior and significantly reduce the risk of ejection.

    The commander said rear seat occupants, should also wear their seat belts for their safety as this poses serious challenge to the corps’ concerted efforts to address the menace of crashes in the country.

    Motorists, he said, should also observe child safety precautions both inside the vehicle and on the road.

    He said the Corps is promoting children’s acquisition of safety skills on the roads which would come handy while using or crossing the road.

    Olonisaye advised the expectant mothers to always wear seat belt, saying the best way they should wear it is: “to place the diagonal strap between the breasts with the strap resting over the shoulder, not the neck; and to place the lap belt flat on the thighs, fitting comfortably beneath the enlarged abdomen and over the pelvis not the bump.”

    It is wrong, he said, for them to wear “lap-only-belt” as this is known to have caused grave injuries to unborn children in the event of sudden accident.

    Olonisaye also warned road users against: overspeeding, wrongful overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol/drug, indiscriminate parking, poor vehicle maintenance culture and contending with big lorries especially on the highways.

    He urged drivers to always concentrate while driving, noting that some drivers engage in things that distract them, such as, talking with passengers, answering phone calls, eating and gesticulating.

    Bishop Taiwo Akinola hailed the FRSC for their efforts in reducing crashe.

    He urged road users to always obey rules to ensure safety of all.

  • FRSC takes campaign to churches, mosques

    FRSC takes campaign to churches, mosques

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has sought divine intervention in ensuring sanity on the roads.

    At a church service at Rhema Christian Church in Sango, the Ota, Ogun State Unit Commander of FRSC Mr. Olufemi Olonisaye said taking safety campaigns to churches and mosques were part of the strategic measures for meeting the Corps’ 2015 target of reduction of crashes.

    He said: “Members of the corps have been mandated to embark on aggressive enlightenment campaign that would include churches, mosques and schools. We have to ensure that motorists know and adhere to the safety tips while driving and should not violate traffic rules and regulations.”

    Olonisaye urged motorists to always drive to stay alive, saying the non-use of seat is of concern to the commission.

    Seat belt, he said, have proved to reduce injuries as they are designed to hold people back on their seats during a crash. Seat belts also minimise contact between the occupant and vehicle interior and significantly reduce the risk of ejection.

    The commander said rear seat occupants, should also wear their seat belts for their safety as this poses serious challenge to the corps’ concerted efforts to address the menace of crashes in the country.

    Motorists, he said, should also observe child safety precautions both inside the vehicle and on the road.

    He said the Corps is promoting children’s acquisition of safety skills on the roads which would come handy while using or crossing the road.

    Olonisaye advised the expectant mothers to always wear seat belt, saying the best way they should wear it is: “to place the diagonal strap between the breasts with the strap resting over the shoulder, not the neck; and to place the lap belt flat on the thighs, fitting comfortably beneath the enlarged abdomen and over the pelvis not the bump.”

    It is wrong, he said, for them to wear “lap-only-belt” as this is known to have caused grave injuries to unborn children in the event of sudden accident.

    Olonisaye also warned road users against: overspeeding, wrongful overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol/drug, indiscriminate parking, poor vehicle maintenance culture and contending with big lorries especially on the highways.

    He urged drivers to always concentrate while driving, noting that some drivers engage in things that distract them, such as, talking with passengers, answering phone calls, eating and gesticulating.

    Bishop Taiwo Akinola hailed the FRSC for their efforts in reducing crashe.

    He urged road users to always obey rules to ensure safety of all.

     

  • How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    Driving  schools that issued their certificates to candidates without the information of the candidates submitted to FRSC website and/or supervising Unit commands (Spanning the three months duration) should be sanctioned.

    d. All driving schools should submit the list of candidates they presented for licence processing on monthly basis to the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) as a form of checks and balances.

    e. There should be a monthly interactive session of the FRSC with the National Executive Officers of the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) to deliberate on the level of compliance by the FRSC and the Driving Schools FRSC Licence production Department should give the officers of the Association (ADIN) the privilege of seeing the list of candidates presented for licence production every month and compare with the list submitted by its members to know the level of compliance and effectiveness.

    This if done will also put a stop to the cloning and unauthorised use of Driving School certificates by FRSC, VIO and MVAA for Driver Licence racketeering.

    f. Possession or use of the old licence should be declared illegal and any candidate holding the old driver licence and the fake new Licence should be arrested and prosecuted. There must be open air announcements to enlighten Nigerians on this.

    g. It is a truism that safety of irreparable lives and valuable properties must not be compromised. It therefore behoves the authorities of the Federal Road Safety Commission and other stakeholders, not to give room to favouritism in the implementation of the above-mentioned steps, no matter the status or position of the candidates either in the government or private sector.

    h. The Federal Road Safety Commission should embark on secret monitoring of driving schools and FRSC capturing centres/Licence production Department to ensure full compliance with the steps suggested above.

    i. Call a stakeholders meeting comprising representatives of FRSC, State VIO, MVAA and Association of Driving Schools (ADIN) and notify them of the new policy and procedures to enhance confidence and compliance.

    The above are just our suggestions to your goodselves for consideration based on our experience and findings in the past few years.

    We are very confident that if strictly implemented, they will put an end to the sharp practices hitherto perpetrated by driving schools (Certified and Uncertified), FRSC, MVAA and VIO. This will also go a very long way in further boosting the accomplishment of the objectives of the graduated Driver Licensing Scheme as well as the reduction of road traffic crashes and fatalities in Nigeria.

    Any government official, driving school, organisation or individual that is still opposed to the adoption and implementation of the steps suggested above is either a direct or indirect beneficiary of the driver licence racketeering conspiracy or ignorant of the workability of the graduated driver licensing scheme.

    It is time for the Federal Government, State Governments, National Assembly, State Assemblies and the Judiciary to rise up to their responsibilities as touching Road Safety in Nigeria to reduce the rate of road  crashes and fatalities in Nigeria. Let us all put a stop to lip service while innocent lives and valuable property are wasting away on the  roads everyday.

  • How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    STEP 1 – That every experienced driver that wants to renew the old driver licence or obtain a new one afresh should go to the driving school as a fresher for thorough assessment in both theory and practical with more focus on the knowledge of the information in the Highway Code (Traffic Signs, Road Markings, Signals and Defensive Driving rules among others) for need assessment.

    STEP 2 – That the driving schools should register the candidates and upload their information into the data base of the Federal Road Safety Commission as it obtains for basic learners.

    STEP 3 – That step 2 should be complemented with the submission of the data and reports of the candidates to the FRSC Unit Commands responsible for the supervision or monitoring of the driving schools in their domains in case there is a challenge in uploading the information of the registered candidates through the website of FRSC.

    STEP 4 – Learner Permits will be issued to the candidates (three months duration as it currently obtains).

    STEP 5 – The candidates will be exposed to the relevant theory and practical training sessions depending on the result of the need assessment carried out by the driving schools in stage 1. The Assessment result will also determine the duration and charges by the driving schools.

    STEP 6 – After the refresher training sessions, the candidates should be allowed to drive for three months till the expiration of the Learner’s permits, after which they can then commence the processing of their Driver Licence (as it obtains for learners) if he or she did not commits traffic offences and at – fault accidents. Appropriate theory and practical tests must be administered and passed by the candidates.

    STEP 7 – Any candidate whose registration information is not in the Database of FRSC through website uploading and/or FRSC unit commands must be denied driver licence (at the Licence production stage).

    There should be adequate print and electronic media public enlightenment programmes by the stakeholders to inform Nigerians that their driver licence will not be produced if they don’t follow all the steps from registration stage to the end (and a prove that they obtain the necessary training in Driving Schools)

    CAUTION

    If the above steps are not fully adopted and enforced, the secret production of fake driver licence will continue to thrive for presentation to compromising driving schools that will be issuing such candidates with certificates and Learner’s permits to go for direct processing of driver licence.

    b. Mechanics, unregistered driving schools and other Individuals who are not driving school owners will continue to train candidates who will dubiously be approaching driving schools for their certificates, claiming that they already know how to drive. But with the above steps fully taken, they would prefer to patronise the certified driving schools rather than going through the process twice and at double costs. This will also be an opportunity to properly groom the drivers with the requisite knowledge and skills for safe driving.

  • Beware, any vehicle can ignite fire

    Beware, any vehicle can ignite fire

    WHAT could make a vehicle that did not tumble to go up in flames?

    A vehicle is made up of metal and other combustible materials. When there is a traffic crash, it depends on the impact. If the impact is towards the electrical components of a vehicle such as the battery or exposed wires that can make contact with themselves as a result of the impact of the crash, that could ignite fire. That is why the FRSC always advises that every category of vehicle on Nigerian road should go with the fire extinguisher and not just an ordinary fire extinguisher but a fire extinguisher that we refer to as All Purpose Fire Extinguisher (APFE), that is the dry chemical powder type. It doesn’t necessarily mean that a car must tumble before it catches fire. If a vehicle is poorly maintained and it gets involved in a minor crash, it can catch fire.

    Are there brands of Toyota buses that are fire-prone?

    It is not a question of brand of a vehicle. All vehicles are fire-prone. It depends on what happens. It could get involved in a crash or in automobile fire. If a vehicle is also poorly maintained, it is prone to fire, where the driver, for example, has been playing around with the electrical components. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a particular brand of a vehicle. A vehicle must be properly maintained. The driver must be conscious of the fact that he must carry out what is called first parade every morning. Before you pick up the vehicle and drive, check your vehicle, both the external and internal components. Ensure that there are no loose wires, oil is not dropping anywhere, everything is intact, check your terminal belt, check the water level in your radiator, check basic components in your vehicle.

    At what speed will tyre burst become dangerous?

    The East-West Road can be described as a single dual carriage way because the road is under construction. So on a single dual carriage way, a driver is not expected to go above 80km per hour, that is the maximum if everything is in order.

    What should the driver do if there is tyre burst?

    The basic thing is to maintain absolute control; don’t accelerant further and don’t apply the brake. Allow the vehicle to roll on its own gradually and look for an area to park and attend to the tyre burst. What causes the problem most times is that the driver applies the brake out of fear. Most times the vehicle could somersault or lose control and run into an incoming vehicle. So, the driver in case of tyre burst should try to control the vehicle, put it on course and don’t allow the vehicle to leave your lane and gradually you allow it to stop.

    Why will tyre burst?

    It could be as a result of poor tyre care. It could be as a result of using the wrong tyre for a vehicle. Every vehicle has its own tyre. It could also be Tokubo tyres. You don’t know the environment that tyre had operated from. When there is also so much load on the tyre, it can burst.

  • ‘Stay away from corruption’

    ‘Stay away from corruption’

    Rev. John Aniagwu of the St Leo’s Catholic Church, Ikeja, Lagos, and the Imam/Chief Missioner, Ojodu Branch of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Abdu Fatai Adedoyin Popoola, have praised the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for its effort in reducing road accidents across the country.

    At the Lagos Sector Command’s thanksgiving service, the clerics urged the FRSC to continue to ensure safety on the roads.

    Rev Aniagwu urged the officers to stay away from corruption; he prayed to God to heal the country of corruption, bad politics and lack of good governance.

    Popoola appealed to motorists to heed FRSC’s instructions on ways to curb crashes on our roads

    The Sector Commander, Hyginus Omeje, said the event was to appreciate God for His mercy.

    Omeje said FRSC decided to visit religious homes, schools, markets to ensure that the “gospel of safety proclamations” get to all road users.

    The Lagos and Ogun Zonal Coordinator, Special Marshals and Partnership, Toyin Kadiku, said the Command’s vision was to eradicate road crashes.

  • FRSC hails Special, Regular Marshals partnership

    OGUN State Sector  Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Mr Adegoke Adetunji has praised the Special and Regular Marshals for working together in the bid to tackle road lawlessness.

    Speaking at the inauguration of Itori Special Marshal Unit, Adetunji said the Corps had made an impact with the creation of the Special Marshals.

    He put the statistics of crashes in the state at 47.7 per cent, with 24 per cent reduction recorded last year, compared with the same period in 2013.

    Adetunji  urged the Special Marshals to increase their patrols, saying the Corps’ vision for 2015 is the eradication of crashes.

    He said the attainment of the mandate requires the commitment of both Marshals.

    He appealed to the Special Marshals to be more effective and efficient.

    The state’s Coordinator, Special Marshals and Partnership, Elder Emmanuel Fagbenro, pledged the unit’s commitment to road safety.

    According to him, Special Marshal is charged by law to prevent and minimise accidents on the highways.

    He said the Itori Unit was created to cooperate with the Regulars to promote road safety.

    He urged the Special Marshals to focus on enforcement, public enlightenment and arrest of erring drivers to ensure total eradication of accidents on the roads.

    The Oniwasinmi of Wasinmi, Oba Emmanuel Osuntogun, hailed the Special Marshals for their efforts in preaching safety.

    He urged all road users to be  disciplined noting that the task of making roads safe is multi-faceted. “The lives of the citizens using the roads are vital for socio-economic renewal and national transformation,” he added.

  • How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    The fear of the judgment of God is the main reason why I decided to write this article in the interest of the innocent Nigerians that are daily becoming victims of road accidents.

    When the Graduated Driver Licence Scheme was introduced in Nigeria, those of us that know the benefits for road safety were very glad. Alas! The stakeholder in its implementation in Nigeria, FRSC, VIO, MVAA and some driving schools have soiled their hands in a disgraceful conspiracy which has made implementation of the scheme a failure in Nigeria thereby contributing more to road crashes and fatalities as it is clearly evident in the road traffic offences, crashes and fatalities in the country.

    Before delving more on what obtains in Nigeria today, I would like to mention how the result-oriented Graduated Driver Licensing system operates successfully in the United States of America (USA).

    Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programmes are designed to offer Drivers the priviledge of structured learning for the promotion of basic knowledge and skills in driving over an extended period of time.

    The three stages in the GDL are:

    1. Learner’s Permit Stage:  At this stage, Trainee Drivers are to hold a Learner’s permit for a period ranging from six months to one year. During this period, the trainee driver must enroll in an approved or certified driving school and undergo comprehensive theory and practical training sessions. The trainee driver may drive only when accompanied by an adult – licensed driver (supervised driving) he or she must not carry other passengers and must not drive late at night. Before the candidate can proceed to the next stage, he must have driven for not less than 50hours and without committing any traffic offence or at – fault accidents. When certified okay, he or she will them proceed to the Intermediate stage (after passing the standard theory and practical tests).

    2. Intermediate Stage – This is also known as the probationary or provisional licence stage. Though the Driver at this stage are allowed to drive unsupervised, they are however restricted from driving late at night and they are mandated to take a second during training classes in an approved or certified driving school during this stage. Once they  have been certified competent without committing any traffic offence and at – fault accidents, they will then proceed to the full Licence stage.

    3. Full Licence Stage – “After meeting the requirements of the Learner’s and Intermediate stages, with satisfactory evidences of their attendance of approved or certified driving schools for the acquisition of requisite driving knowledge and skills, he can then proceed to process and obtain full licence.

    The above licensing process may look tedious or long but no period is too long. So far, it prevents the loss of irreparable lives and valuable properties. It is better to be late than to be the late. Life has no duplicate. This Graduated Driver Licence programme is being successfully implemented in America with commendable reduction in the rate of road crashes and fatalities.

     

     

     

    The Nigerian Graduated Driver Licence Scheme was tailored after the America system but its implementation in Nigeria has been so bastardised that rather than leading to a reduction in the rate of road crashes and fatalities, it is on the increase.

    As at the time I am writing this article, there are thousands of Nigerians holding the new Driver licence without knowing how to drive, not to talk of knowing the traffic signs among others.

    Some officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Vehicle Inspection Departments, Motor Vehicle Licensing Authority, Driving Schools and Hospitals are conspiring together to racketeer the Driver Licence issuance through the backdoor and even front door bastardisation of the process thereby making an international mockery of the Nigerian Graduated Driver Licence programme.

    Majority of the Drivers holding or processing the new Driver Licence in Nigeria did not go to any Driving School to acquire driving knowledge and skills. After paying their way through, they only go for FRSC data Capturing.

    Sadly, no party among the Stakeholder is ignorant of this dastardly act but little or nothing is being done to halt it herby putting more and more innocent Nigerians at risk on the road. Many of the FRSC, VIO and MVAA Officials and their collaborators have become sudden multi – millionaires while the obedient Driving Schools are hungry and yawning without Drivers to train.

    Hospitals are also guilty of issuing certificates of fitness for Driver Licence candidates they did not even see nor test. When shall we stop putting personal gain above public interest in Nigeria?

    I believe that very soon, when Nigerian Governments and Government Agencies responsible for the issuance of Driver Licence are being taken to court for the settlement of Compensation to the innocent victims of road accidents, they will know that the safety of lives and properties should not be sacrificed on the altar of filthy lucre.

    One of the ways this negative conspiracy in Driver Licence processing can be stopped is by stopping the use of fake old Driver Licence to process new Driver Licence and let all the Candidates go through Driving Schools as Learners but the perpetrators of the evil are consistently resisting every move to stop such renewal because of the illicit money they are making from it. Hence the continued illegal production of fake Driver Licence in Nigeria.

    For the GDL system to work and accomplish its objectives in Nigeria, all renewals with the old Driver Licence must be stopped and whether or not you know how to drive, once you don’t have the new Driver Licence, you must be subjected to the steps highlighted below no matter your position or status in the country.

    STEP 1 – That every experienced Driver that wants to renew the old Driver Licence or obtain a new one afresh should go to the Driving School as a Fresher for thorough Assessment in both Theory and Practical with more focus on the Knowledge of the information in the Highway Code (Traffic Signs, Road Markings, Signals and Defensive Driving rules among others) for need Assessment.

    STEP 2 – That the Driving Schools should register the Candidates and Upload their information into the Data base of the Federal Road Safety Commission as it obtains for BASIC LEARNERS.

    STEP 3 – That step 2 should be complemented with the submission of the Data and Reports of the Candidates to the FRSC Unit Commands responsible for the supervision or monitoring of the Driving Schools in their Domains in case there is a challenge in uploading the information of the registered Candidates through the website of FRSC.

    STEP 4 – Learner Permits will be issued to the Candidates (3months Duration as it currently obtains).

    STEP 5 – The Candidates will be exposed to the relevant theory and practical training sessions depending on the result of the need assessment carried out by the Driving Schools in stage 1. The Assessment result will also determine the duration and charges by the Driving Schools.

    STEP 6 – After the refresher training sessions, the Candidates should be allowed to drive for 3months till the expiration of the Learner’s permits, after which they can then commence the processing of their Driver Licence (as it obtains for Learners) if he or she did not commits traffic offences and at – fault accidents. Appropriate Theory and Practical Tests must be administered and passed by the Candidates.

    STEP 7 – Any Candidate whose registration information is not in the Database of FRSC through website uploading and/or FRSC unit commands must be denied Driver Licence (at the Licence production stage).

    There should be adequate print and electronic media public enlightenment programmes by the stakeholders to inform Nigerians that their Driver Licence will not be produced if they don’t follow all the steps from registration stage to the end (and a prove that they obtained the necessary training in Driving Schools)

    CAUTION

    If the above steps are not fully adopted and enforced, the secret production of fake Driver Licence will continue to thrive for presentation to compromising Driving Schools that will be issuing such Candidates with certificates and Learner’s permits to go for direct processing of Driver Licence.

    b. Mechanics, unregistered Driving Schools and other Individuals who are not Driving School owners will continue to train Candidates who will dubiously be approaching Driving Schools for their certificates, claiming that they already knows how to drive. But with the above steps fully taken, they would prefer to patronize the Certified Driving Schools rather than going through the process twice and at double costs. This will also be an opportunity to properly groom the Drivers with the requisite knowledge and skills for safe Driving.

    c. Driving Schools that issued their certificates to Candidates without the information of the Candidates submitted to FRSC website and/or supervising Unit commands (Spanning the 3months duration) should be sanctioned.

    d. All Driving Schools should submit the list of candidates they presented for Licence processing on monthly basis to the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) as a form of checks and balances.

    e. There should be a monthly interactive session of the FRSC with the National Executive Officers of the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) to deliberate on the level of compliance by the FRSC and the Driving Schools FRSC Licence production Department should give the Officers of the Association (ADIN) the priviledge of seeing the list of Candidates presented for Licence production every month and compare with the list submitted by its Members to know the level of compliance and effectiveness.

    This if done will also put a stop to the cloning and unauthorized use of Driving School certificates by FRSC, VIO and MVAA for Driver Licence racketeering.

    f. Possession or use of the old Licence should be declared illegal and any Candidate holding the old Driver Licence and the fake new Licence should be arrested and prosecuted. There must be open air announcements to enlighten Nigerians on this.

    g. It is a truism that safety of irreparable lives and valuable properties must not be compromised. It therefore behooves the Authorities of the Federal Road Safety Commission and other Stakeholders, not to give room to favouritism in the implementation of the above-mentioned steps, no matter the status or position of the Candidates either in the Government or private sector.

    h. The Federal Road Safety Commission should embark on secret monitoring of Driving Schools and FRSC capturing centres/Licence production Department to ensure full compliance with the steps suggested above.

    i. Call a stakeholders meeting comprising of Representatives of FRSC, State VIO, MVAA and Association of Driving Schools (ADIN) and notify them of the new policy and procedures to enhance confidence and compliance.

    The above are just our suggestions to your goodselves for consideration based on our experience and findings in the past few years.

    We are very confident that if strictly implemented, they will put an end to the sharp practices hitherto perpetrated by Driving Schools (Certified and Uncertified), FRSC, MVAA and VIO. This will also go a very long way in further boosting the accomplishment of the objectives of the Graduated Driver Licensing Scheme as well as the reduction of road traffic crashes and fatalities in Nigeria.

    Any Government official, Driving School, Organisation or Individual that is still opposed to the adoption and implementation of the steps suggested above is either a direct or indirect beneficiary of the Driver Licence racketeering conspiracy or ignorant of the workability of the Graduated Driver Licensing Scheme.

    It is time for the Federal Government, State Governments, National Assembly, State Assemblies and the Judiciary to rise up to their responsibilities as touching Road Safety in Nigeria to reduce the rate of Crashes and Fatalities in Nigeria. Let us all put a stop to lip service while innocent lives and valuable properties are wasting away on Nigeria roads everyday.

  • No Yuletide accident in Aba, says FRSC

    No Yuletide accident in Aba, says FRSC

    The Aba Sector command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said that there was no recorded case of road crash in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State, during the festivities.

    The Sector Commander, Akachukwu Chika-ero also said 36 persons were arraigned before a mobile traffic court set up by the agency during the period for various traffic offences.

    Chika-ero, in an interview with our reporter, attributed the success his command recorded to the continued road safety awareness campaign at various motor parks in Aba and its environs mounted by the corps before and in the run-up to the Yuletide as more people and motorists came into Aba.

    He disclosed that out of the 36 persons that were arraigned before the mobile court for reckless driving in December, 35 were convicted of various offences while one person was discharged and acquitted.

    The Aba sector chief of the FRSC said the commission was not ignorant of the fact that Aba, being an economic and trade centre, usually hosts traders and individuals from neighbouring states of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Imo states, including their counterparts from such West African nations as Ivory Coast, Benin, Niger, among others, who come to buy one product or the other during festive periods.

    Lauding his officers on their dedication, commitment and display of high level of professionalism while discharging their duties even when they had cause to be angry, he admitted that such feat wouldn’t have come without some challenges.

    Speaking on the command’s readiness to sustain their  efforts, he further called on motorists using the Aba Ikot-Ekpene, Aba-Port Harcourt, Aba-Umuahia expressways to obey and maintain traffic regulations guiding driving on the highway, reminding them that his men will always be on the highway to check and penalize any driver that flouts driving code.

    He also disclosed that as part its routine measures to stem drivers’ excesses, the agency through the use of a mobile court would prosecute and sanction drivers that flout traffic regulations on the Highway, adding that the public awareness campaign would be a continuous one.

    “As part of measures to curb to the barest minimum the rate of accident on our highways and checking excesses of drivers, we are planning in 2015 to introduce a speed limit device for motorists to install in their vehicles and it is our belief that it will be warmly embraced by all motorists because it is for their safety and that of their passengers,” the FRSC Aba sector boss disclosed.

    Chika-ero thanked the media for supporting and partnering with the agency in educating and enlightening the public on the need to be safety conscious while making use of the roads, advising drivers to desist from alcohol intake, making and answering calls while on steering and any other act capable of putting their lives or that of their passengers at risk.

    It could be recalled that the Commanding Officer RS9, Corps Marshal Samuel Obayemi, presented by the Zonal Head of Operations at the end a sensitization exercise in Aba ahead of the Yuletide with the theme “Road Safety, a Shared Responsibility, it Depends on You” said that the essence of the exercise was to remind all road users in the southeast and the country at large that they have a responsibility to play in ensuring safety on the roads within the festive period and beyond and promised that by the end of the exercise, FRSC personnel that would be deployed on the roads would work optimally to ensure that road users in Aba and within the RS9 zone drove to their destinations safely.