The Federal Road Safety Corps has issued a strong warning to fleet operators who tamper with the calibrated Speed Limiting Devices in their vehicles for economic benefits or otherwise to desist from such act or risk impoundment of their vehicles and subsequent compulsory re installation and calibration of such speed limiters
According to the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi who frowned at the dangerous act has issued an express directive to the Zonal Commanding Officers, Sector Commanders and Unit Commanders across the country to impound at sight, any vehicle caught in the act, have the driver prosecuted and force re installation and calibration of the speed limiting devise .
Oyeyemi lamented that these elements engage in such deadly act for economic gains, they speed beyond the prescribed legal speed limit in other to make more trips within a short time at the detriment of the lives of their passengers and other road users.
He noted that the perpetrators want to ridicule the achievement recorded by the Corps since the commencement of enforcement on the device, but the Corps will not allow such to prevail as tactical strategies have been put in place to impound such vehicles and make the drivers face the law accordingly.
“ I have directed Commanding Officers to impound all vehicles suspected to have altered the device in their vehicles and ensure that such vehicles recalibrate the device before the vehicles are released and we shall be very strict and swift on this”.
While reiterating the reason the Corps introduced the policy some years back, the Corps Marshal was quoted as saying, “The Federal Road Safety Corps as the Lead Government Agency saddled with the responsibility of Road Traffic Management in Nigeria identified speeding as a major contributing factor to road crashes and attendant casualties in the country.
To create a safer motoring environment which is our core vision, Federal Road Safety Commission in line with the resolutions reached with Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Automotive Council of Nigeria, Transport Union Association and other stakeholders commenced the implementation and enforcement on the use of Speed Limiting devices in vehicles starting with commercial vehicles, nationwide”.
The Corps Marshal also stated that the law allows the Corps to carry out such duties when he revealed thus, “The legal frame work backing the Commission’s implementation and enforcement of Speed Limiting Device for all categories of vehicles in Nigeria is stipulated in section 10(3) (m) of the FRSC (Est.) Act, 2007 and section 152(4) of National Road Traffic Regulation, 2012”.
You would recall that the policy came about as a result of the urgent need to put an end to increasing rise in speed related road traffic crashes and the attendant loss of lives and damage to properties that comes with it. Having given the policy deserved publicity; the Corps commenced full enforcement starting with commercial vehicles on 1 October, 2016.
Kazeem called on the motoring public to always tune into the National Traffic Radio 107.1FM to report any suspected case of speeding, obstruction or any emergency noticed on the road for immediate action. The Station can also be reached through its Social Media Handles as follows; WHATSAPP 08052997848, FACEBOOK TRAFFICRADIO 1, TWITTER @TRAFFICRADIO 1, INSTAGRAM TRAFFICRADIO 1. Or Call the following numbers; GLO 08052998090, MTN 09067000015, and SMS on GLO 08052998012 and the FRSC toll free emergency line 122.
