By Paul Effiong, Abuja
House of Representatives has called on the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, to ensure that they make use of modern technologies for their operations across the country.
The House urged FRSC to embrace technology-assisted enforcement such as Automatic Vehicle Local, AVL, systems, Automated Traffic Enforcement, ATE, systems, as well as Advanced Analytics and Data Platform among other potential options.
This was sequel to a motion moved during plenary yesterday by Garba Muhammad.
Speaking in his lead debate, Muhammad noted that FRSC is a government agency with the responsibility of promoting safe driving practices, reducing road accidents, as well as fostering the culture of road safety awareness across Nigeria.
The House also agreed that FRSC officers patrol highways, apprehend traffic offenders, issue traffic regulations to deter dangerous driving and regulate the issuance of driver’s licences for the purpose of ensuring that only qualified individuals operate vehicles on the roads.
The lawmakers raised concern that FRSC enforcement methods of physical
checkpoints pose grave risks to commuters.
They noted that some locations of checkpoints on steep inclines or declines could be very dangerous, especially for motorcycles and tricycles, application of sudden brake or swerve maneuvers to avoid checkpoints, leading to accidents.
They expressed worry that checkpoints create bottlenecks, especially during peak hours, leading to traffic jam
and delays coupled with alleged reports of FRSC officials engaging in some illegal deals and sharp practices.
The green chamber pointed out that the practice of using motorcycles and vehicles to chase commuters for traffic offenses raises concerns, as those chased are always on high speed, posing a risk to bystanders, and resulting in the loss of control leading to injuries and minor accidents.
They also lamented that while FRSC’s goal of enforcing traffic laws is
understandable, it is crucial to prioritise the safety of everyone on the road.
They maintained that chasing commuters should be a last resort, employed only in situations where it is absolutely necessary and can be done safely.
The House also mandated the commission to evaluate the effectiveness of enforcement strategies, whether technology-assisted methods are reducing traffic violations and improving safety, calling on its Committee on FRSC to ensure compliance.
