There is no going back on the October 1 date for the implementation of speed limiting device nationwide as approved by President Mohammadu Buhari, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said.
The Commission’s Corps Marshall, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, stated this yesterday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, at a public enlightenment forum for stakeholders in the transportaion sector, at old AKTC Park, on Ikot-Ekpene Road, Uyo.
Oyeyemi, who was represented by his assistant in charge of Policy, Research and Statistics, Dr. Kayode Olagunju, expressed dismay over the alarming statistics of road crashes on Nigeria highways.
He disclosed that last year, over 12,077 road crashes were recorded out of which 5,400 people (68 per cent) were said to have died as a result of over speeding.
The FRSC chief regretted that most of the crashes would have been avoided if appropriate safety measures had been adopted by those plying the highways.
According to him, the speed limiting device which would take effect next month, willsave Nigerians the embarrassment on the highways.
“Most of the road crashes are preventable,if we are able to bring down the speed. We’ll be saving a lot of lives on our highways’’ he said, noting that “accidents are caused not made.”
In his remarks, the Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Transport, Mr Godwin Ntukude, expressed satisfaction with the introduction of the speed limiting device. He, however, called for a technical session with all stakeholders to enlighten them on the nitty-gritty of the policy.
Utukude said: “There is no policy introduced by the government that will not have a positive effect on lives of the people, but let us have technical session with experts to ascertain whether it can be installed on an expired used (Tokumbo) vehicles or not. It is important for us to know this so that the good policy could not be rendered in another way.”
The command’s spokesman, Mr. Godgive Uwem, who spoke on the importance of speed limiting device, said Nigerian will be joining countries like Japan, Australia Sweden and the United States (U.S.), with the introduction and implementation of the policy.
R u going to force us to buy it or you will provide it free? Every road safety boss is always looking for how to profiteer from motorists. Last time the new FRSC helmsman was appointed, his first line of action was to force down our throats the new number plate costing over 50k to produce minus bribe.
ReplyDeleteInstead of the government to flex it's muscles on bringing back economy..... They are there shouting on attachments..... Mtchwwwww!
ReplyDeleteThis policy us a welcome idea, but why limiting it to commercial vehicles only. Why not all vehicles, including private ones,government ones,state officials and all.
ReplyDeleteNigerian law is only meant for certain people.
ReplyDeleteDo we really need speed limiting device in Nigeria vehicles with our kind of roads or FRSC is looking for another way to rip Nigerians off?
ReplyDeleteI travel recently and I will like to agree with your statistics but most of them are caused by the poor state of the road and not over speeding. You can carried out your feasibility study on the road to see for yourself so that after installing the speed limiter and the same problem continue you will not be singing a different song.
ReplyDeleteThis is not our priority now. Most road users are not tested before licensing. U can even see that for yourself how they drive. Most don't know the highway code. The roads are mostly in a bad shape with pot holes and ditches (natural speed limits). FRSC should address these matters first. The countries from which you imported these equipments do not have pot holes on their roads; people also go for road tests before being licensed to drive. You people seem to be out for some gain and not to sanitize our roads. Why did you have to change our number plates instead of capturing data with the old numbers as was down with our mobile phones? Please stop putting unnecessary on an already over-stressed public.
ReplyDeleteThe concept is ok and welcoming. However, one may be forced to ask if road accidents in Nigeria are mostly caused by over speeding or bad roads. I would want to argue that attributing road crashes to over speeding is erroneous and misleading, as most accidents in Nigeria result from poor state of road infrastructure. Because vehicles that cautiously maintain minimum speed limit on highway are also involved in road accidents due to accelerated deterioration on of roads.
ReplyDeleteI think what government should be more concern about is how better it can make Nigeria roads motorable and safe for users than extorting money from the public in the guise of speed limiting device.
Sincerely speaking, road crashes are not necessarily as a result of overspeeding as most commercial driver always their speed limit on the highway. Apart from bad road infrastructure, road crashes result from intoxication from drungs and alcohol, and fatigue due to lack of rest. It's only in Nigeria that drivers are employed to work round the clock without adequate rest; you visit parks as see same faces of drivers every now and then.
So another area the government should look at is to impose bound on the consumption of drugs and alcohol by commercial driver. This can be achieved by deploying FRSC officials at parks to carryout alcohol and drug test on drivers before they embark on journey. On fatigue, as obtainable in other countries, drivers on commercial vehicles should be given two days paid holiday on weekly basis, and annual paid leave every year. Also commercial drivers should be given the privilege to rest appropriately for every 3-4 on the road
My argument still remains that, road accidents are not necessarily from over speeding but mostly as a result of bad roads, influence of drugs and alcohol, and fatigue. Good, it was cited by the article that Nigeria is joining countries like Japan, Australia, Sweden and the US; that have successful used the device. Nonetheless, it should be noted that the success recorded in those countries was not solely from the device but complemented by good roads; so Nigerians shouldn't be wooed to believe falsely that the device to work miracles on the state of Nigeria poor road infrastructure.I won't be surprised if Nigerians are easily wooed because of thirst for miracle.
One question I want Nigerians to ask is the rate of road accident in other developed countries with good road network but without the use of speed limiting device. Take for example the UK with good roads without speed limiting device; hardly before an accident scene could be recorded. The few ones are as a result of intoxication and fatigue.
However, if we are made to believe that the speed limiting device will eradicate road accident in the face of Nigeria poor roads, then the government should give the device free of charge to drivers.
I still have my reservation on the successful use of the so-call speed limiting device.Would the FRSC and agencies be checking every vehicle to ensure the device is not manipulated and how often will this check be carried out?
I know Nigeria my country and the laziness of the various institutions; they don't perform their duties. The few time you see then performing their duties they are bent on extorting innocent people.
The last time it was driver's license that cost us over #12,000 to #15,000. The most ridiculous part of the whole charade is that, the new one has no substantial difference with the former that cost less. Now it's speed limiting device; simply a ploy to extort Nigerians once more.
Notwithstanding, we shouldn't be in haste to as if the device is prone to fault, and if that happens who does the repair and who bears the cost?
I know government has to generate revenue, however this must be done in a more plausible way. LONG LIVE NIGERIA
coupouled with the state of Nigerian road,speed limit device,and drug testing of drivers will be okay for now.FGN our roads are death trap especially Ibadan Lagos express way.How many years will it take to repair this road? delay is too much and dangerous.PPle are dying on this bad road.Pls bail us out.
ReplyDelete