Bill to allow road safety officers bear arms scales second reading

A bill for an Act to amend the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Act, 2007 to make officers bear arms has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.

The bill was sponsored by Abiodun Adesida (APC-Ondo) and Olaide Muhammed (APC-Oyo) at plenary on Thursday.

The bill seeks to establish Road safety Special Armed Squad and make corps on the rank of deputy corp marshal enjoy benefits attached to that grade including retirement grade.

The bill also seeks to empower the commission with the responsibility for road traffic administration and safety management.

The bill, when passed into law, will empower the commission supervise users of public roads, regulate traffic, clear obstruction on any part of the public roads with the aim of preventing and minimising road traffic crashes on public roads.

The bill seeks to mandate the commission to educate drivers, motorists and other members of the public on the proper use of public roads and other related matters.

In his ruling, the Speaker of the house, Abbas Tajudeen, referred the bill to the committee on FRSC for further legislative actions.

In a related development, the House tasked FRSC to embrace technology-assisted enforcement, which includes Automatic Vehicle Local (AVL) systems, Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE) systems, advanced analytics and data platforms among other potential options to manage traffic.

The call was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Garba Muhammad at Thursday’s plenary.

Moving the motion, Mr Muhammad said that FRSC officers patrol the highways, apprehend traffic offenders, issue traffic regulations to deter dangerous driving and regulate the issuance of driver’s licenses to ensure only qualified individuals operate vehicles on the roads;

He said that FRSC enforcement methods of physical checkpoints pose potential risks to commuters, the location of checkpoints on steep inclines or declines can be dangerous.

According to him, the risks are especially for motorcycles and tricycles, application of sudden brake or swerve maneuvers to avoid checkpoints can lead to accidents.

Mr Muhammad explained that checkpoints create bottlenecks, especially during peak hours, leading to traffic jams and delays coupled with alleged reports of FRSC officials engaging in corrupt practices at checkpoints soliciting bribes from motorists, or impounding vehicles for minor offenses.

“Worried that the FRSC’ practice of using motorcycles and vehicles to chase commuters for traffic offences raises concerns as the chase was always on high speed, posing a risk to bystanders, and resulting in loss of control leading to injuries and minor accidents.

“Also worried that while the FRSC goal of enforcing traffic laws is understandable, it is crucial to prioritise the safety of everyone on the road, but chasing commuters should be a last resort, employed only in situations where it is absolutely necessary and can be done safely,” he said.

The House urged the Federal Road Safety Commission to evaluate the effectiveness of enforcement strategies in reducing traffic violations and improving safety.

In his ruling, the speaker mandated the House Committee on FRSC to ensure compliance.

(NAN)