Coronavirus: FRSC arrests 144 commuters for flouting precautionary measures

The Federal Road Safety Corps on Thursday revealed that about 144 drivers have been arrested for overloading their vehicles with passengers.

In a statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, Mr. Bisi Kazeem made available to CAPITAL POST in Abuja, he said drivers continue to undermine precautionary measures against deadly coronavirus, a situation he stressed, would not be taken lightly.

The Corps in the statement insisted on full compliance by all  categories of drivers to curb the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

“All categories of transporters are to ensure full compliance with the provisions of Regulation 108 (1) of the National Road Traffic Regulation 2012 on compulsory passenger manifest.

“All public transport operators are to imbibe necessary precautionary measures in their parks and terminals as failure to adhere strictly to this order will attract the necessary sanctions.

The statement was emphatic that all passengers travelling; not only during the epidemic regime but at all times, have the statutory obligation to write down their full information in the passenger manifest before commencement of the trip.

The emphasis on the need for compulsory adherence to the NRTR 2012 provision is to make sure that details of all passengers conveyed in each vehicle are adequately collected so as to arrest further spread of the virus per chance any of the passengers is tested positive even after the trip.

He warned passengers to comply by filling the passenger manifest before their journey commences as any transporter who violates this order will be made to face the wrath of the law when apprehended.

 The Corps Public Education Officer stated that the figures of the arrests was drawn from 16 states with the highest number of arrests recorded in the Federal Capital Territory where a total of 52 overloaded vehicles were impounded while Lagos State followed suite with a total of 17 arrests.

He gave the list of states where more than 5 arrests were made as “Plateau 14, Delta 13, Benue 9, Adamawa 6, and Katsina with a total of 6 arrests.

“While Nasarawa and Ogun State recorded 5 arrests each, Niger and Kwara recorded 4 each, Osun 3, Rivers and Akwa Ibom had 2 each with Zamfara and Enugu recording the lowest arrest of 1 per state.”