THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has set October 1, for full enforcement of the speed limiters on commercial vehicles operating in the country.
Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of FRSC, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, who disclosed this on Wednesday, during the stakeholders’ meeting held at the corps national headquarters, Abuja, vowed that enforcement would be total and non-compromising.
Oyeyemi, in his address at the event attended by relevant government agencies and road transport unions, commended all the stakeholders for the consistent support they had given to the policy of speed limiter usage in the country.
He particularly commended the leadership of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) for their technical inputs into the policy, saying it was such collaboration that enhanced the decision of other stakeholders to adopt the policy.
Oyeyemi recalled that the initial date set for the commencement of enforcement of the law was June 1, 2015, stating that the date had to be extended to allow for further consultation and more public enlightenment programmes, especially that the period fell within the same week the present administration was inaugurated.
He added that when the corps made presentation to President Muhamadu Buhari and suggested September 1, 2015 as the new commencement date, the president, in his magnanimity, extended the date till April 1, 2016.
He further noted that in the process of commencing the enforcement on the set date by Mr President, a motion was passed on the floors of the two chambers of the National Assembly suspending the enforcement pending when a public hearing was conducted by the House Committee on the FRSC to determine the desirability of the policy.
The Corps Marshal announced that with the House’s approval of the policy, based on public acceptance during the public hearing and its consideration of the relevance of the device in the campaign against speed-related road carnages in the country, it unanimously lifted the suspension order, upon which the president gave a new enforcement date of October 1, 2016.
He called on stakeholders to take the new date with all seriousness and ensure that their members, especially commercial operators, abide by the regulations by ensuring that their vehicles are installed with the devices before the commencement of enforcement to avoid sanctions.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, which has oversight powers over the FRSC, Senator Tijani Kaura, applauded the FRSC for introducing the speed limiters device in the country.
Senator Kaura commended President Buhari for approving the policy, noting that with its effective implementation, the rate of crashes would go down to barest level.
He expressed the willingness of the National Assembly to support the corps in its implementation efforts and other polices that could enhance safety and security of people of Nigeria.
Also speaking on the occasion, the chairman of the House Committee on FRSC, Honourable Abubakar Ahmed Yunusa, represented by his deputy, Honourable Gideon Bulus, pledged the support of the House of Representatives, especially the Committee on the FRSC, for the success of the policy.
