By Dipo Olowookere
From 2017, owners of private vehicles in Nigeria will have to install speed limiting devices in their cars or risk being punished for it, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has hinted.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos, Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM) Operations of FRSC, Mrs Ojeme Ewhrudjakpor, disclosed that but for now, only commercial vehicle owners were mandated to have the devices installed.
“For now, we are not looking at private vehicle owners because we believe they can use their discretion in driving themselves and their family.
“We have plans for signage on the roads and we are working with the Ministry of Works to build more signage on the road.
“We believe that with the signage, individuals cannot drive more than 100km per hour, while commercial buses cannot go more than 90km per hour,” she said.
Mrs Ewhrudjakpor further said that the enforcement of the device on private vehicles would commence in 2017 with full enforcement on commercial vehicles too.
But she stressed that by the time full enforcement commences next year, there would be no excuse because all the transport unions have been carried along in the campaign of the device.
The FRSC began the enforcement of speed limiters for commercial transporters from October 1, 2016.
According to Mrs Ewhrudjakpor, out of about 57,000 registered commercial vehicle operators across the country, only 7,000 have installed the device in their vehicles.
Adedapo Adesanya