The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has announced plans to set up a mobile court to try defaulters of crash helmet recently introduced by the commission. Already the commission is collaborating with the Lagos State government in this regard.
The Deputy Corps Commander (DCC) .of the FRSC, Mr. H.D. Umeje who stated this in Lagos at a meeting with commercial motorcyclists called Okada, said any passenger caught not using the helmet while in transit, will either be made to pay a fine of N2,000.00 or face a jail term.
The mobile court, he said, will try all such cases as non-compliance with the use of crash helmet by motorcycle riders and their passengers as well as other traffic offences.
According to him, the mobile court has become necessary following the stubbornness of most patrons of the Okada riders, some of who will only collect the helmet and either place them on their shoulders or laps.
“The challenge we are having now is not with the Okada riders. Their compliance rate is 98 percent but the challenge is with the passengers”, the DCC said.
He said another challenge facing the FRSC and the Lagos State government, Umeje said, “is that over 50 percent of the commercial motorcycles in the state are not registered”.
He urged the Okada riders to enlighten passengers who refused to use the helmet, urging them not to carry such passengers who remained adamant.
“One way of ensuring that passengers use the helmet is, keeping it clean always and if we, in one accord, declare that anybody without the helmet will not be carried, the man will use it” he said.
Umeje said that all those tried and convicted would have their names published in the newspapers and television.