By Peter Okolie
Oba – The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said it prosecuted no fewer than 274 traffic offenders for 352 violations in Onitsha, Anambra, between July and September, 2016.
The Commander of Onitsha Unit of the commission, Mr Paulinus Akpotobo, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Oba, near Onitsha on Wednesday.
Akpotobo, who spoke on the sideline of ‘Ember’ month enlightenment on Highway Code, organised for members of the Tipper Owners and Welfare Association, said that 30 vehicles were impounded during the period.
According to him, 16 vehicles were confiscated and 23 drivers were cautioned during mobile court sessions carried out in different locations of Onitsha within the period.
“Motorists still overload their vehicles and drive without seatbelts in Onitsha area, but the command has intensified its enforcement on overload, especially in this Ember months,” he said.
Earlier, during the event, Akpotobo had urged tipper drivers to obey traffic rules by avoiding overloading and to ensure that the tyres of their vehicles were in good shape before embarking on any trip.
He also advised them to obtain new driver’s license through the relevant authorities, cautioning that “any driver license issued to you within three days or without capturing your face, finger prints and electronic signature is a fake document.
“If you are caught with it, you will be apprehended and made to pay a fine.”
In a lecture, the Unit Commander for Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of the state, Mr Patrick Ogbu, also cautioned the drivers against overloading.
“Stop creating compartments in your vehicles just to carry overloaded sand or stones; it ends up causing hazards and inconveniencing other road users.
“You should also have respect for smaller vehicles and humans and not use your horns to instil fear in them,” Ogbu said.
In a remark, President of Tipper Owners and Welfare Association, Mr Hycent Okafor, commended the FRSC for the lecture and promised that members would adhere to traffic rules.
He assured that the association would introduce internal disciplinary measures to check the conduct of members.