More than 48 hours after the February 1 enforcement deadline mandated by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), for installation of speed limiting devices in commercial vehicles on Nigerian roads, many motorists seem not to understand what the device is about, leading to low compliance. YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE reports.
Since Wednesday, when the voluntary deadline given by Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) for its speed limiter policy mandating motorists to install speed limiting devices in their vehicles lapsed, operatives of the agency had hit the roads to arrest defaulters especially commercial vehicles for non-compliance, the level of compliance according to reports is however at present, extremely low.
The commission had last year initially given an October 1 deadline to motorists but had extended the time frame till February 1, this year to allow more people key into the policy. In a mock enforcement exercise following the October 1, 2016 deadline, an estimated 2,800 commercial vehicle drivers were ticketed for failing to install speed limiting devices in their automobiles.
The commission had in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Bisi Kazeem, indicated that many drivers didn’t comply with the road safety directive though drivers who were issued tickets then as part of a mock enforcement exercise were not told to pay fines.
According to the FRSC, the speed limiting concept was informed by the high rates of car crashes that occur on a daily basis which research has revealed claim more lives than malaria fever, adding that as part of its commitment to manage road traffic in the country, the commission has identified speeding as a major contributing factor to the high level of road traffic accidents and attendant causalities on Nigerian roads.
Consequently, the speed limit policy is a bid to create a safer motoring environment across the country and FRSC in line with the resolutions reached with Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), National Automotive Design and Development Council of Nigeria (NADDC), and other stakeholders has made it compulsory for all vehicles nationwide especially and starting with commercial vehicles (buses, trailers, tankers and trucks) to install Speed Limiting Devices.
FRSC had stated that the army, police, civil defence, Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies would be on standby to provide security support and the enforcement while 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.
But months after the directive, the commission stated that it recorded smooth operation in the full enforcement of the installation of speed limiting device in commercial vehicles which commenced nationwide on Wednesday, though many drivers still complain that they don’t understand what the policy is about.
The Head, Media and Strategy in the FRSC, Mr Bisi Kazeem, while speaking on the operation told Nigerian Tribune that the Corps had no problems with the first day of the ongoing enforcement, adding that 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 of the speed limiting devices to motorists and Nigeria at large before the enforcement date though he said details of the operations were not readily available.
Though many are yet to comply with the rules, some companies didn’t wait to be harassed before doing the needful. 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, adding 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 and that the transport company had introduced installation of “speed governors” in its vehicles since six years ago.
According to him, the enforcement by the FRSC did not pose any problems for the company as 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.
The story is however different in many quarters. An official of a mass transit company located at Mararaba in Nasarawa State, an adjoining town to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who spoke on a condition of anonymity stated that 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 but he urged the FRSC to take it easy on motorists as most are financially handicapped.
“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,” he concluded.
After the October 1 deadline, about 91,479 commercial vehicles were yet to comply with the directive no vehicle in the northern state of Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Kebbi and Yobe had installed the device aimed at surmounting the problem of road accidents through a preset maximum acceleration of 100, 90 and 60 kilometres per hour for cars, commercial buses and lorries, particularly on the highways.
At that time, the commission had stated that Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Enugu states topped the compliance list of implementation of the speed limiting device after one month of the partial enforcement.
“4,979 vehicles installed the device while 91,479 vehicles were yet to comply bringing the compliance level to five per cent. People need to embrace this scheme on their own without being forced, because very soon, come February 2017, there will be no more subtle or advisory enforcement it would be total enforcement and strict implementation,” Kazeem stated then.
At present, in spite of FRSC’s instruction, compliance remains at a parlous level as many drivers are yet to embrace the technology of speed limiting device based on various reasons.
In Gombe, drivers decry the high price of the speed limit device, urging FRSC to reduce the price of the Speed Limit Device (SLD) to make it affordable to motorists as the price at present isn’t pocket friendly to them and is beyond their means.
A driver identified as Malam Idriss Shu’aibu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) stated that many drivers had not installed the device because of its exorbitant cost of N48, 000, adding that he cannot identify a single person who has installed the device.”
“Reducing the price will encourage drivers to go for the device. Some drivers have parked their vehicles until when they see what will happen at the end of the day,” he said, adding that the situation could lead to increase in transport fares if care was not taken.
For Malam Umar Abubakar, another driver, the high cost of the device is a militating factor, he urged the FRSC to bring the price down to between N8, 000 and N10, 000 each to encourage motorists invest in one.
According to him, business has dropped drastically because of recession and drivers cannot generate enough resources to purchase the device at this period. He further advised the Federal Government to suspend the implementation until all Nigeria roads were in good condition.
“The problems of Nigerian roads need to be addressed first before full implementation of the programme because the major causes of road crashes are bad roads,” he said.
And in Ibadan, the situation is the same. A civil servant, Bode Babalola said the purchase of a speed limit device is not feasible at present as it is not even on his list of priorities.
“I do not see myself buying that at present. Aside the fact that it is too exorbitant, it is not even in my budget. When was the last time I collected salary and how much is my salary. I have to think of school fees and feeding my family. Most times, I don’t even take the car because I cannot afford fuel. So how on earth will I put that amount, almost a month salary on a speed limiting device?
“I don’t need any device to tell me I must not speed. My belief is that the device should be for cars travelling not those within town as the roads in town are not even conducive for speeding. But really, most people would want to get the device rather than face harassment or fines but it is simply beyond the reach of many for now,” he said.
Compliance with the speed limiting device put in place by the FRSC seems a long term goal at present due to the economic situation of many road users, as many see it as an alien policy that should be put on hold till the economic situation in the country improves or the price of the device is reduced.
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