BEVERLY HILLS, SEPTEMBER 14, (THEWILL) – The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has insisted that the deadline for the installation of speed limiting device on vehicles will be implemented on October 1 in accordance with the commission’s Establishment Act.
Assistant Corps Marshall, Kayode Olagunju, made this known in an interview with NAN, in Calabar, declaring that the act empowered the commission to determine and enforce speed limiter for all vehicles and to control the use of speed limiting devices.
“The National Road Travelling Regulation Act 2012, Regulation 152 Sub-section (4) says a person cannot drive a vehicle that is not fitted with speed limiter on any public road,” he said.
“I wish to tell Nigerians that the planned installation of the speed limiting device is legal. Section 10, Sub-section (3m) of the FRSC Establishment Act 2007 empowers the commission with the mandate to enforce the use of the device.
“The same Regulation 152 Sub-section 5 specifies penalty of N3,000 or three months’ imprisonment for defaulters.
“This is not an administrative issue; it is something that is backed by law made by the National Assembly.
“We decided not to implement it on April 1, because we thought we needed to do more public education on it and to also get the collaboration of stakeholders.’’
“The corps will start installation of the device with commercial vehicles on October 1, as commercial vehicles account for about 60 per cent of road accidents.”
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has asked the FRSC to extend the deadline for the implementation of the speed limiting device scheduled to begin on October 1.
The State Chairman, NURTW, Mr. ThankGod Eribo, made the appeal in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, on Wednesday, noting that the enforcement date was too near and pleaded with the Commission to extend the date and also make the price of the device affordable.
He however described the device as a welcome development, expressing the readiness of the union to ensure full compliance.
“The initiative is as important as the engine of a vehicle, especially to our members, who are the major road users; and this is what we have been expecting from the FRSC,” he said.
“We will comply with the initiative, since it is a safety precaution to reduce crashes.”
Story by David Oputah
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