Abuja Transporter Explains Why Drivers ‘Prefer Police Corruption’ To FRSC’s Enforcement
Commercial motorists in the Federal Capital Territory appear to prefer policemen on the roads to operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
Drivers plying from Gwagwalada to Gwarimpa through Kubwa Expressway are forced to pay N100 at police checkpoints, but they do it willingly.
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The drivers usually carry extra passengers and pay the police N100 to allow them to get to their destinations.
THE WHISTLER observed that most of the vehicles(cars) usually carry four passengers at the back instead of three, and carry an extra two to sit with the driver in front, making seven in total.
Despite carrying excess passengers, the policemen do not bother the motorists once they drop money at the checkpoints.
But it’s a different situation when the drivers approach the only FRSC checkpoint at Tungan Maje while coming from Gwagwalada.
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The drivers would plead with the extra passengers to disembark and trek across the checkpoint from where the driver would pick them up again.
While explaining the development, a driver who gave his name as Mallam Salisu, told THE WHISTLER that they do not like “the stress” FRSC makes them go through.
He said: “We prefer the N100 the police make us part with. It makes our work easy and stress-free. We only need to part with a little amount and they let us go.
“In fact, any day we come out and don’t see any police checkpoint out here, we feel so uneasy. It makes us feel insecure having the feeling that danger may be looming high ahead like robbery.
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“But you see these road safety officials, we do not like them at all. When they arrest us for overloading, we must go to their office and part with 8,000 naira or more.”
In a post made on its verified Facebook page, the FRSC stated that overloading has resulted in the loss of many lives through Road Traffic Crashes (RTC).
The Commission further explains that vehicular control is affected when a vehicle is overloaded and more people are also exposed to risks of injury and death.
“Overloading is a traffic offence which is committed when a vehicle conveys loads or numbers of persons more than it’s designed or legally permitted to carry,” the Commission said.
Pursuant to Section 10(4), 28(2) of FRSC (Establishment) ACT, 2007 under the notice of offence sheet, the charge for overload attracts a fine of N10,000.
Other road offences and their charges include: Light/Sign violation N22,000, Road Oobstructions N33, 000, Dangerous Driving N50,000, Wrongful Overtaking N33,000, and Speed Limit N33,000.
