..Decry security agencies, other road user’s disregard to traffic
By Gabriel Udeh, Kaduna
Kaduna State Traffic Law Enforcement Authority (KASTLEA) said over 70 percent road users have changed their vehicle particulars including driving license and number plates through the instrumentality of KASTLEA, and is still counting.
The authority however lamented the lack of respect and compliance to traffic rules and regulations by security agencies and other road users which have become a serious challenge to KASTLEA.
The Corps Marshall and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the authority, Major Garba Yahaya Rimi (Rtd) made the revelation in an interview with our correspondent in kaduna.
He said KASTLEA has two major responsibilities which includes enforcement and social service, adding while the enforcement is facing a lots of issues, the social service is also having some issues too.
Major Rimi said a situation where people are always trying to beat the traffic by all means even when they have seen the red light signs stopping them, is unfair and against the law.
“The security Agencies and other road users are our challenges. We’ve been paying courtesy visit to some of the security formations to canvass this issues. We discover that it’s the young Security Officers that are breaking the law, because the high ranking officers always conduct themselves in more responsible ways. Others
including overloading of vehicles beyond the capacity it can take on the roads by vehicle owners”, he said.
According to him, the authority ensured that road Marshals are deployed to 15 Local Government areas to lead their officers, while senior and assistant Corps Marshals are sent to supervised them from time to time.
“In carrying out our duties, we’ve been able to reduce the normal vehicle traffic we use to experience in parts of kaduna cities and some LGAs since we came on board”, he said.
While he could not disclosed the total number of motorcycles seized and kept in their custody because of the constant confiscation and releasing after paying fines of N10,000 and N19,000, in line with the laws, Major Rimi however warned that the ban on use of commercial bike is still enforced.
According to him, the authority worked strictly by the law, stressing that any motorcyclist backing a passenger is liable for arrest by KASTLEA officers, including private cyclists, going by their law.
“The law say, if after six months they owners refused to come and pay and claims their bikes, the authority can approach the court for options. Findings howevers revealed that the number of seized motorcycles in the premises of KASTLEA during our interview are uncountable.
Also on security challenges and tough time the country is currently passing through, the retired Major noted that both terrorism and coronavirus that brought insecurity and tougher times are happening allover the world and therefore, is everybody’s business.
