Agwu Decries Driving Without Number PlatesCORPS Marshal and chief executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, has said that FRSC does not sell the number plates and the driver's licence to members of the public.According to Chidoka who spoke in Abuja yesterday, FRSC only prints the documents for the state governments, based on the information the latter supplies.'Such licences are returned to them (state) under the tripartite arrangement, which they make available to the public, not the FRSC. And the Joint Tax Board determines the prices.'The cost of the new number plates, he said, considering its increased size, enhanced security and other features, cannot be said to be a burden on vehicle owners.'For the avoidance of doubt, the approved prices for vehicle number plates are N15, 000 for new vehicle registration and N10, 000 for old vehicle exchanging for new one, excluding other administrative charges,' he said.States' Board of Internal Revenue, he said is responsible for the sale of the products to the public, and not the touts.'Government can never enunciate policies just to exploit the Nigerians, because the welfare and security of the people is the reason for the existence of government in the first place.'Therefore, the overriding interest in this project cannot be the exploitation of the people, but ensuring national security and the safety interest of all Nigerians. I would prefer that analysts focus more on that angle and not just emphasise on the economic aspect of it.'Meanwhile, the sector commander of the FRSC in Lagos, Jonas Agwu, has warned motorists against driving without duly registered number plate.Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Guardian on Thursday in Lagos, he declared thatit was illegal, unauthorized and a contravention of the relevant traffic laws for any vehicle to transfer number plates or use defaced number plates.He explained that the use of plastic or defaced number plates or none at all contravened the provisions of Sections 21 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2004.He declared:'For the avoidance of doubt, part of the section states that no part of the number plates of a trailer or a motor vehicle other than a motorcycle shall be in any manner obscured and the plate shall at all times be kept in such condition that the letters and figures thereof are clearly distinguishable in daylight by a person of normal vision at a distance of 30 metres and in the case of motorcycles at a distance of 15 metres, ''Make sure that your vehicle is registered with proper number plates before you put it on the road,' he warned.According to Agwu, FRSC has observed motorists covering their number plates with rubber materials, mostly sky-blue colour, noting that such act is illegal.He added that it is in the interest of motorists that their vehicles be properly registered.'When a vehicle is not properly registered, if it is stolen, how do you report to the Police' You are harming yourself,' he said.
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