HELMET: FRSC BEGINS FULL ENFORCEMENT IN KANO

The Kano State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Yusuf Garba (DCC) has informed that his command has began full enforcement of safety helmet laws in the state saying that it has arrested 60 motorcyclists daily.

Speaking in his office in Kano, Yusuf Garba lamented that the toll of the arrest rather than decreasing with the high level of public enlightenment in the state is increasing by the day despite the availability and affordability of the safety helmet in the state. He said that upon commencement of the law on the use of safety helmet early January this year, the FRSC had devised what he termed “subtle enforcement’’ so as to give operators in the state enough time to adopt to the new law.

He argued that when the new law was introduced, punishment for it was relaxed for a reasonable period of time to allow for understanding and compliance from road users. Owing to the fact that some people had previously complained that the helmet were not available or were scarce, the Commission adopted persuasive and subtle enforcement measures for a reasonable period of time before it moved into full enforcement.

The commander also informed that those found wanting are made to compulsorily buy the helmet and pay a two thousand naira fine. According to him, since the commencement of this strategy, the level of compliance has been increasing steadily.

While appealing to people to give the Commission maximum support to discharge its duties as dictated by law, the Commander urged drivers to respect traffic rules for their safety. He emphasised that the Commission was only protecting the lives of the people and therefore people should cooperate and comply with the law of the land.

Also, twenty nine Commercial Motorcycle operators were on Tuesday 3 rd February 2008 arrested following three days of protest that led to clashes between men of the FRSC and hundreds of protesting Okada riders in Kano over the enforcement of the use of safety helmets.

Twenty of the riders were arrested for refusing to wear the helmet while the nine were among those that attacked the FRSC offices in Fagge and Gidan Murtala. The arrested persons according to the FRSC Sector Commander in the State, Yusuf Garba, will soon be charged to Court.

According to report, hundreds of the Okada riders on Tuesday stormed the Fagge Office of the FRSC protesting the arrest of 20 of their members in the Sabon Gari area of the City.

The protest turned violent when members of Okada riders attacked the office demanding the release of the arrested members. The protesters carrying sticks and setting up flames along the road blocked the area as they continued heckling men of the FRSC with stones. The situation almost got out of hand as the protesters outnumbered men of the FRSC on duty but for the prompt intervention of the police who were drafted to the scene, the protesters would have overpowered the men and officers of the commission. The police soon took over the security of the area dispersing the protesters, arresting some and firing tear gas.

The Unit Commander of the FRSC Fagge Unit Command, Stella Numan (CRC), informed that the Command came under attack by the Okada riders after the officer commenced enforcement on the helmet law in the area of Kano city.

The FRSC Sector Commander in the State Yusuf Garba (DCC), described the attack on the Fagge Unit Command as the third in three consecutive days. He informed that the Okada union had attacked the Head Office on Sunday and the Fagge office on Monday and Tuesday. To him, this is a clear case of deliberate crime which will not be allowed to continue.

The Sector Commander said that FRSC Officers will continue to enforce the law since it is not in Kano alone that such law is being enforced.