Paschal Emeka, Abuja
A group known as Accident Prevention and Rescue Initiative (APRI), has called on State Governments to immediately comply with the Road Traffic Act and establish a Motor Vehicle Administration Directorate in their Ministry of Transport, to reduce the rate of road traffic accidents.
The Executive Director of APRI, Prince Fidelis Nnadi in a press release, in Abuja, disclosed that the group, in its resolution adopted at its Executive meeting in August 2023 resolved that State Governments in the country should adopt the road traffic crash preventive measures by establishing a Motor Vehicle Directorate in all the States Ministry of Transportation to improve on-road crash prevention measures and road transport revenue generation.
Prince Fidelis Nnadi who also is the National Consultant for VIOs on Capacity Building, Public Affairs, and Advocacy, tasks the Transportation Commissioners of States and the Attorney Generals to ensure full compliance with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety that mandates States to promote efforts in the reduction of road crash deaths and injuries to a drastic level of 50 percent or more from 2020 to 2030.
Nnadi frowned at the current low-level performance of Road Traffic/Vehicle Inspection officers in some States, stressing that some State Governments are yet to equip the agency and officers with the required operational vehicles and manpower to function optimally.
“We cannot continue to fold hands while innocent road users are crushed on our roads caused by inadequate resources for officers to enforce the road traffic regulations of States for the safety of road users.
Lamenting further, Prince Fidelis Nnadi disclosed that the States are losing huge road transport revenues which in most cases are being harnessed and harvested by some non-state actors in the sector.
“It will be in the interest of State Governments’ Ministry of Transportation and society when the establishment of Directorate of Motor Vehicle Administration in all the States/FCT is fully implemented, as such establishment has been guaranteed by the provisions of the Road Traffic Act CAP 548LFN,” he concluded.