OBSTRUCTION OF TRAFFIC BY TRAFFIC OFFICERS

It is expected that when there is a presence of traffic officers like the FRSC or the VIO, or other law enforcement agents like the police, that there should be a free flow of traffic but sadly it has been observed that the reverse seems to be the case especially in some parts of the FCT, Nigeria.

This is so because these uniformed men have turned our roads to market place where they trade your freedom of movement with papers or money. The worst part of it all is that they are everywhere during the day and when it is evening when the traffic is chaotic  or when there is an accident and they are really needed, they are nowhere to be found.

For the purpose of this article, we shall use the vehicle inspection office, driver and vehicle licensing administration (VIO-DVLA) as a case study. Vehicle inspection office driver and vehicle licensing administration (VIO-DVLA) of the 36 states is charged with the responsibility of issuing driver’s license, learner’s permit and vehicle insurance.

 It has almost become a normal practice to see VIO-DVLA cars parked on the highways in Abuja. The cars are usually parked blocking half of the road, like a barricade and then the VIO-DVLA officials standing on the road, stopping vehicles so they can check for vehicle papers. Most of our roads are not even wide enough for three cars yet, a part of the road is blocked forcing motorists to only use one part of the road thus obstructing traffic. Does the Road Traffic Act Chapter 548, LFN(1990) regulates the  operation of vehicles and traffic in Nigeria and the FCT permit the VIO-DVLA to obstruct traffic?

Is barricading the road and risking the life of VIO-DVLA staff in the process the best way to enforce driving with valid driver’s license, learner’s permit and vehicle insurance? An angry driver for instance can just run over any VIO-DVLA official trying to stop him. Worse still is when they impound a vehicle and the VIO official enters the car to make sure the car is taken to the office, what if the driver drives away with the VIO official in his car, the official is not armed, what if the driver is a ritualist? The risk isn’t worth it.

 Is it even being enforced or are motorists just being delayed for nothing? I dare say, it is not being enforced because of the level of corruption, it seems the only people that are arrested by VIO-DVLA are the less privileged, who do not have any “god-father”. It wouldn’t be false to state here that VIO-DVLA does not stop uniformed men, instead they salute them and make way for them to pass; but woe betide you if you are just a common taxi driver and your papers are expired, your car will be impounded and even after paying the fine, to get the papers and your car back will be a hassle.

Furthermore, the process of issuing of driving license is a sham as we all know that most people in Nigeria do not go through any driving test before getting a driver’s license, you just pay some money and provide your data and the next thing, you hold a driver’s license, no due process. Let’s not even talk about the learner’s permit as most learners are not even aware such a thing exists in Nigeria. Ask the common man and he will tell you to put “L” sign on your car and you are good to go. Talking about the vehicle insurance, most motorists are yet to understand why they should pay such an amount to government in the name of insurance and does the insurance mean that the government or third party will pay for the damages to the car if there is an accident? Still waiting to hear that VIO-DVLA paid for a car damaged in an accident.

In other developed countries, it is not the usual practice to barricade half of the highway and conduct stop and search. Modern technology has made everything easy, chips or tags are imbedded on cars containing all the information about the car, (insurance and particulars, license) and readable by the vehicle inspection officers from their offices or computers thus there is no need to stop all cars and constitute nuisance; only cars which do not fulfil the requirements will be stopped. The e-coding was once introduced by the VIO-DVLA in the FCT is a step in the right direction and should be embraced instead of allowing it to just fizzle away like that.

Furthermore, how do we check speed limit in Nigeria and how do we even stop motorists that are driving above speed limit as is done in other developed countries? Our governors are car-crashing on daily basis because of too much speed, who dares to stop them, because there is no speed limit being enforced.

Also on the issue of stolen cars, cars are easily stolen in Nigeria and can’t be found because we lack the technology to do so. Rather than obstruct traffic in the name of checking for particulars and licenses, let us move with the times and also try as much as possible to fight corruption, do not give or take bribe, Nigeria can be made a better place.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!