VIS Chiefs moot harmonized traffic laws
By Demi Adeniyi
Directors and Chief Road Traffic Officers across the 36 states of the federation and Abuja are mooting the idea of standardizing and harmonizing traffic laws aimed at sanitizing traffic operation and instilling road discipline.
These are some of the reforms expected from the two-day national conference of Directors/Chief Road Traffic Officers of the federation which will come up in Niger State between October 29 and 30.
Dropping this during a virtual press conference on Monday, the Director, Niger State Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (NSMVAA) and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the conference, Dr Bako Danladi Mohammed said worried about the series of judgments emanating from the law courts which has been upturning and limiting their operations, the directors are taking far reaching decisions which would see to a stop in the trend.
Just last month, a Federal high Court sitting in Abuja had ruled that the VIOs have no power to enforce traffic regulations in the FCT.
He said though the VIOs are empowered to operate under the Road Traffic Laws of the federation, Caps 155, 156 and 158 Laws of the federation, while the VIO in the FCT operates under Cap 158 of the same law, yet it is expected that the state’ Houses of Assemblies are to come up with appropriate edicts to regulate transportation and traffic control in their various domains.
According to him, Abuja being the FCT has been a little problematic because it has been a challenge getting the National Assembly to legislate on traffic management in the FCT in accordance with the law.
“One of the key things we are going to discuss at the conference is to ensure that every state will come up with appropriate laws to back traffic management and that is why our theme this year is standardization and harmonization of vehicle inspection, testing and licencing: Issues and way forward,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Forum of Directors of the VIOs/Chief Traffic Officers Dr Paul Bepeh, said the VIOs was carved out of the Police Service to ensure that the nation’s roads are properly policed and ensure that there are safer roads and safer operators manning vehicles which are being put to use across the country.
Bepeh who was represented by Mr Dauda Ahmed, said the conference is the platform for periodic review of activities of the VIOs and at such fora, policies would be proposed for chief executives of states to implement in order to ensure a safer road.
He noted that the VIOs are out to ensure vehicle and driver safety and are out to promote greater public confidence and integrity in vehicle testing and road traffic compliance.
He charged the media to continue to support the agency in its task of enlightening motorists about the right road etiquettes adding that this is needed in order to ensure sanity on the roads.