Day 1 enforcement of speed limiters smooth – FRSC

The Federal Road Safety has disclosed that it recorded smooth operation in the full enforcement of the installation of speed limiting device in commercial vehicles commenced nationwide on Wednesday.

Head, Media and Strategy, FRSC, Mr Bisi Kazeem, told Nigerian Tribune that the Corps has no problems with the first day of the enforcement, saying “the enforcement is ongoing”.

He the sector and field commands of the agency had been fully mobilised for the exercise while FRSC had stepped up sensitisation campaign to highlight the benefits to motorists and Nigeria at large of the speed limiting devices before this enforcement date.

He, however, said details of the operations were not readily available.

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of Peace Mass Transit Company, Abuja, Mr Jude Ngwu, said his organisation has ensured full compliance with the FRSC directive on their fleet.

He added that the management of the company in its wisdom installed speed limiters in its vehicles to help reduce road crashes as a result of speeding by drivers.

According to him, the transport company had introduced installation of “speed governors” in its vehicles about six years ago. He, therefore, said the enforcement of by the FRSC did not pose any problems for the company.

He disclosed that from experience, the introduction of speed limiting devices has not only helped in reducing rate of road crashes involving the company’s vehicles but management cost has also been tremendously reduced.

He disclosed that speed governors were installed in all his company’s over 3,000 buses plying the Nigerian highways.

Ngwu, noted that when a vehicle is involved in an accident, the loss is not only on the part of the passengers but is  also borne by the company in terms of cost of repairing the vehicle, loss of personnel, and even the integrity of the company safety-wise, in the eyes of the public.

However, an official of a Mass Transit Company located at Mararaba in Nsarawa State, an adjoining town to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who asked not be named said his organisation is yet to install the speed limiters in most of the vehicles, though he said the device is a good initiative in the effort to reduce high rate of road crashes in Nigeria.

He said the management of the company ensured that the device was installed in some of its new vehicles, adding that arrangement was in place to install the device in all the vehicles.

“You know that things are generally hard now in the country and I think the Road Safety people are aware of that. Gradually, we will get there.”

FRSC had disclosed that the army, police, civil defence, Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies would be on standby to provide security support.

The statement announcing the enforcement also said the mobile courts had been set up nationwide for the purpose for instant prosecution of defaulters, adding that defaulters could pay up to N3,000 as penalty depending on the discretion of the courts.