FRSC to clamp down on driver’s licence violators

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is organizing a special operation targeted at detecting and sanctioning the violators of drivers license in the country.

This was disclosed yesterday in Abuja by the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi while receiving the Secretary of Transportation for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Kayode Opeifa during his courtesy visit to the FRSC National Headquarters in Abuja.

Opeifa commended the leadership of the FRSC for the success recorded by the nation in the international recognition now accorded Nigeria Driver’s licence.

He noted that “due to the security features introduced into the licences, which make their validity to be verifiable online, many states in the USA have given reciprocal recognition to the holders of the licence from Nigeria.”

He added that the feats achieved by the FRSC over the years were made possible because of its adoption of technology and huge investment in information technology.

Mr Opeifa observed that the credibility attained by the licence and consequent international recognition remain a pride to the nation. He commended the FRSC for its untiring campaign on road worthiness, not only in Nigeria, but within the West African sub-region where the FRSC presided over the affairs of the West African Road Safety Organization (WARSO) for a number of years during which visible results were recorded in creating road safety awareness among the people.

The Secretary appealed for sustained collaboration with the FRSC to make the Electronic Vehicle Inspection Scheme pioneered by the FCT Administration a success, saying the contribution made by the FRSC towards the success of the project is well appreciated. He restated the willingness of the FCT Administration to tap into the experiences and synergy offered by the FRSC in the area of traffic management in the country with the aim of making Abuja a model for other states of the federation to emulate.

He expressed support for the idea of establishing FCT Road Traffic Management Agency, noting that in view of the growing volume and sophistication of motor transportation business in the FCT, there is the need for the establishment of the agency to handle road traffic management in the FCT while the Road Traffic Services would continue to play its traditional role of vehicle inspection and issuance of road worthiness certificates to motorists.

Mr. Bisi Kazeem, Corps Public Education Officer, who received the guest on-behalf of the Corps Marshal said “the practice of driving vehicle without proper driver’s licence as observed in some drivers is illegal and unacceptable to the FRSC”, stressing that the perpetrators would be sanctioned accordingly.

He observed that some of the immediate challenges the Secretary would face in his assignments at the FCT includes the challenges of road traffic management during the peak period characterizing Christmas and New Year. Others he pointed out are prompt response to report of road conditions by the FCT administration, but expressed satisfaction with the promptness with which the FCT Minister has been responding to reports on road conditions in parts of the FCT. This he said has enabled safer road usage and prevented unnecessary gridlock in the FCT.’

The Corps Marshal further noted that part of the reforms carried out by the FRSC to protect the integrity of the driver’s licence was the policy of compulsory participation of fresh drivers in the driving school and certification by relevant agents before being captured for biometric data by the FRSC and vowed to sustain the integrity of the driver’s licences including the number plates.

Myke Uzendu, Oluchi Okorafor, Abuja