The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun State, Clement Oladele, says the command arrests an average of 25,000 offenders in the state weekly.
Oladele disclosed this yesterday when he led operatives of the command to the Ibara Baptist Church, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, for the commemorative church service for the 2019 African Road Safety Day/World Day remembrance for road crash victims.
The Sector Commander said motorists and road users in the state had a penchant for disobeying traffic rules and regulations, which he noted was responsible for the high rate of road crashes in the state.
Oladele said that by last Saturday, 317 people had lost their lives in road crashes since January.
The FRSC Commander, who was responding to questions from the congregation on the alleged arbitrary arrest and fine of road users, said the punishment the traffic agency metes out to offenders was not stiff enough, hinting that habitual traffic rules offenders could be banned from driving on Nigerian roads.
Earlier, the Sector Commander had read the speech of the FRSC Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, who called on governments in the country to implement road safety policies and action plans that address safer vehicles to avert crashes and reduce deaths on roads.
“In response to this, the Federal Road Safety Corps instituted various policies such as the introduction and enforcement of the use of speed limiting devices for commercial vehicles, trucks, trailers and mini buses.
“Furthermore, regulation was developed for the operation of articulated lorries/tankers and training of tanker and trailer drivers. Investments have been made into research and public enlightenment cover vehicular safety. Plans are also underway for partnerships with
automobile manufacturers and the Customs Service to ensure that only vehicles certified safe are allowed into the nation. Safety components like child restraints and seat belt are being enforced and advocated for by the Corps,” Oyeyemi said.
