The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said it had arrested 432 drivers without driver’s licences within the past two weeks in Lagos State.
The Sector Commander of FRSC in Lagos, Corps Commander Olusegun Ogungbemide, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.
He fielded questions after the completion of Phase 11 of the Operation Show Your Driver’s Licence.
NAN reports that the operation commenced on Oct. 4 through Oct. 10 simultaneously in all the units in Lagos State.
The sector commander said that the command had impounded 432 vehicles of various types along with their drivers since the commencement of the operation.
Ogungbemide said that 252 of the impounded vehicles were commercial vehicles, while 180 were private vehicles.
He said that some of the drivers who claimed to have forgotten their driver’s licences at home and offices were given the opportunity to present their driver’s licences.
The FRSC, however, noted that the majority of the culprits could not produce their driver’s licences even when given the opportunity to do so.
Ogungbemide decried the high rate of uncollected permanent driver’s licences in all licencing centres across the state.
He said that many of the drivers had been sent to mobile courts to serve as deterrence to others.
Ogungbemide said that the first and second phase of the special patrol, tagged “Operation show your driver’s licence”, indicated that some motorists still drive without their valid driver’s licence while some don’t have at all.
He said that there was a need for drivers to be handy with their licences and valid vehicle papers as the command would conduct the operation till the end of the year.
He explained that all vehicles impounded would not be released until they show evidence of having the documents.
“According to the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2021, Regulation 67(1): ‘Any person driving a vehicle on any public Road shall be in possession of an original driver’s licence, but where the person is in possession of the photocopy of the original driver’s licence, he shall within 24 hours produce the original driver’s licence to the appropriate authority if demanded’.
“Regulation (2) also stated that: ‘Any person who contravenes the provision of regulation 67(1) of these regulation commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of N10,000 or to a term of one-year imprisonment or to both’.”
For motorists who drive without a vehicle licence, he stressed that Regulation 67(3) states that: “Any person driving a vehicle must be in possession of at least the photocopy of the vehicle particulars, and the original shall be provided to the appropriate authority within 24 hours if demanded”.
Regulation 67(4) says: “Any person who contravenes the provisions of regulation 67(3) commits an offence and shall be liable to a fine of N3,000 or 6 months imprisonment or to both,” Ogunbemide said.
He, therefore, cautioned road users to ensure they obtain all necessary documents that qualified them to use the road.
He added that the situation where drivers of vehicles, tricycles and bike riders ply the road without a licence was no more acceptable.
The sector commander said that the operation was designed to curb crashes and reduce fatalities to the barest minimum.
Ogungbemide, however, urged all motorists to maintain a safe speed and avoid night travels to enjoy a good road experience.
