The Federal government has directed “complete action” against unscrupulous driving school operators and other saboteurs of the nation’s driver licensing system.
The Secretary to the government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, introduced this in Abuja on Tuesday.
Mustapha spoke on the 4th national Workshop for driving school Operators in the North-central, organised via the Federal road safety Corps.
The news agency of Nigeria reports that the series of workshops are part of efforts by the FRSC to sanitise the method of drivers’ training and licensing inside the country.
The move, in step with the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, follows a current media report that the system has been “grossly compromised by driving school operators” and different actors.
Mustapha said the authorities was conscious that a few operators were deliberately sabotaging its driving school Standardisation Programme, applied by the FRSC.
The operators, consistent with him, do that commonly via “breaching the DSSP portal” to assist their customers to bypass the due procedure of acquiring driver’s licence.
Represented by Mr Adekunle Olusegun, the permanent Secretary, general services department of his office, Mustapha stated the FRSC have been mandated to punish those already identified to deter potential offenders.
“Authorities is closely watching the execution of the DSSP and might respect its enlargement to make sure that only people who are certified to drive on Nigerian roads do so.
“Let me emphasise right here that those who make use of the roads have to constantly be properly educated and licensed so as not to lose focus and be responsible of gross negligence in vital regions of national development,” he said.
Mustapha, whose office supervises the FRSC, stated the workshop could not have come at a higher time than now that the government was worried about driver education, training and certification.
The SGF noted that authorities was appreciative of “diligent and law-abiding” operators, and could keep to assist all policies and programmes aimed at making the nation’s roads more secure.
He entreated operators to join forces to acquire driving ranges, a key requirement for the licensing of driving schools by the FRSC.
Mustapha amplified the decision via the FRSC on state governments to set up model driving schools to guide the private sector players, and additionally to assist the Corps.
In a keynote address, the Minister of power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, expressed concern over the contemporary quality of driver training in the country.
Fashola based his worry on “the discovered level of insanity displayed by drivers on our highways nowadays, no matter the DSSP”.
“There is no question that there may be a huge gap between FRSC efforts and the return the country is getting to it in respect of driving school activities.
“As an instance, some driving schools had been located to have developed the habit of using the highways as driving ranges even when the requirements and manner for driver training are explicitly supplied for by the FRSC,” he said.
The minister stated his ministry was working with the FRSC to rid the state’s highways of all plagues, which includes illegal access by driving school operators.
He lauded the Corps for establishing the workshop to ensure proper law of the driving schools, urging other stakeholders to do their part.
Chairman of the FRSC Governing Board, Malam Bukhari Bello, stated the board was aware about the latest demanding situations bedevilling the DSSP.
Bello said he became happy that the Corps was already taking steps, inclusive of enterprise of the workshops, to deal with the demanding situations.
He assured the Corps of the board’s help to make sure that the programme was efficaciously implemented, similarly to different inititiatives, for an enduring road protection in the country.
The Corps Marshal of the FRSC stated the workshop was organised to re-evaluate the performance of the DSSP and chart the way forward.
Oyeyemi stated the DSSP, which came into force in 2006, was going through a number of challenges along with “relentless hacking into the DSSP portal to benefit unmerited advantage for driving school clients”.
He said operators were also no longer adhering to the regulations of engagement, and outright deceit via state committees of driving school registration leading to “rogue approval of non-existent/sub-standard driving schools”.
Some other setback, he stated, is the general non-cooperative attitude of driving school operators to be well organised for better operation and law that allows you to make certain the maintenance of best practice.
He stated the FRSC had to this point suspended the licences of 124 driving schools in the country due to compliance breaches.
“The workshop will take a holistic method to the DSSP value network and proffer comprehensive and enduring approach to rejuvenate it roward ensuring powerful functioning of the programme.
“This may enhance avenue safety and additionally continue to offer help and guidance to driving school operators to channel them toward innovation and efficient investments.
“It equally seeks to constantly offer the very best safety and security standards and build a robust protection tradition crucial to driving school operations,” the FRSC boss said.
