… Traffic offenders to run mental check-up
By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Bello, said the administration has strengthened enforcement to tackle reckless driving in the territory.
Bello made this known when he received the management of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) led by its Managing Director, Mr Buki Ponle, on a courtesy visit.
The minister also disclosed that the administration’s officials had arrested many offenders since the traffic enforcement.
” Most of the taxis that are in green and white colours in the city are registered, so we have a data base and some of them are uniquely under a specific company.”
” Some companies have fleets of 300 to 400 vehicles while some have 150 to 200; so we are able to catch up with them.”
What we do now in some areas that are notorious and very difficult to have enforcement officers all the times is to create some barriers,” the minister said.
Meanwhile the minister has explained that all traffic offenders are taken to the hospital for psychiatric test to ascertain their mental health while their vehicles are impounded.
” The offenders will pay N10,000 for the mental check-up and if the results show that they have psychiatric problem, then we will keep them at the hospital.”
“However , if it is not a psychiatric case, we will take them to the Vehicle Inspection Officer’s office where we have a conference room and then they will make them to pay fine.”
After paying the fine, the vehicle will be parked there and they will come for lessons on good manners of driving for two weeks,” he said.
Furthermore the minister said his administration had been urging the media to embark on naming and shaming of offenders, but complained that it had not been receiving the desired cooperation.
Ponle who noted that the enforcement was very important commended the minister for his efforts in ensuring sanity in the nation’s capital
” I am happy you raised this issue of increased surveillance, especially when it comes to enforcement because enforcement is important.”
” If there is a law and if there is no enforcement, it is just as if there is no law. But when there is enforcement and punishment, you will remember that if you break the law, punishment is awaiting you.”
” So people will think twice before they break the law. I am happy about that,” Ponle said.
