Class ‘A’ driver’s license compulsory for cyclists, easy to get — Kumapayi

THE Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps in Anambra State, Commander Andrew Kumapayi has said that henceforth, all motorcycle and tricycle operators in the state must have their vehicles duly registered, and also compulsorily have a Class ‘A’ Drivers Licence and Vehicle Number Plate, maintaining that it is an offence for any motorcyclist or tricyclist not to have these.

  Kumapayi disclosed this in an interview with National Light during a visit to  Anambra Newspapers And Printing Corporation (ANPC) which held at the corporation’s headquarters, Awka, the Anambra State capital.

  According to the Road Safety boss, enforcement of the policy will help to boost internally generated revenue of the government, through the registration exercise and fining of defaulters; and also help the Road Safety have a comprehensive database of all motorcycle and tricycle operators in each state and the entire federation, as well as enhance security of life and property.

  He noted that the enforcement and apprehension of the defaulters had begun since  October 2, 2019, having earlier given the cyclists ample time to do so, the deadline of which elapsed on October 1, maintaining that in just less than three weeks of the implementation, the command has impounded over 100 motorcycles and tricycles belonging to defaulters in different parts of the state.

“This enforcement is a continuous exercise, and we are doing it in collaboration with sister agencies like the Anambra Traffic Management Agency (ATMA), the Civil Defense, the Nigerian Police Force.”

   Explaining further, the FRSC boss said the procedure for obtaining the Class ‘A’ Drivers License and Vehicle Number Plate is such an easy one that involves no rigorous or ambiguous process and which does not also necessarily require the cyclist to attend or pass through a driving school before he can acquire such.

  In his word, “the procedure for obtaining these is so simple and does not involve any ambiguous or rigorous process, as the motorcycle or tricycle operators do not requisitely need to go to a driving school, before they can obtain it.

“All they simply need is certification from the state’s Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO), to certify that they are fit to ride and then proceed to any nearest licensing center in the state to start the process of procuring the license, which also simply involves filling a form and having a biometric capturing, after which a temporary Driver’s License will be issued to the person, which is expected to last for a maximum period of 60 days before the permanent one will be out; and they will be contacted to come and pick it up.”

  While disclosing that Drivers License Centers in the state are located at Awka, Ihiala, Nimo, Nnewi, Ogidi, Aguata, Otuocha and Onitsha; Commander Kumapayi further explained that the Class ‘A’ Drivers License is of two categories, with regards to its validity period, which, according to him, are one for three-year validity period and one for five-year validity period, costing N3,000 and N5,000 respectively, further noting that they are carrying out the registration exercise in partnership with the state’s Board of Internal Revenue.

  He said, “any motorcyclist or tricyclist found without having this Class ‘A’ Drivers License and having his Vehicle Number Plate affixed on his vehicle will have his vehicle impounded, and the owner will have to go and pay the necessary fine as enshrined in the Road Safety Law.

The commander informed that the Corps is poised to working together with her sister agencies in the state this time to ensure a hitch-free festive period while commended Governor Willie Obiano who he also described as a road-safety-friendly Governor for his support  to FRSC in the state.

In his own contribution, the MD, Editor-in-Chief,  National Light Newspaper, Sir Chuka Nnabuife called on the Corps attention to some yet-to-be addressed issue of people blocking motorists’ and cyclists’ views with signposts wrongly mounted at the various junctions and corners of roads in the state, which he said could add to accidents occurrence, adding that the indiscriminate and unauthorised siting of bumps on the roads by some individuals, does not only slow down vehicular movement, but also causes accident, especially when a regular user of the road does not know that such bumps have been sited.