… One way traffic offender gets 3 year jail term
The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday passed a bill for a law to repeal and re-enact the road traffic law and to make provisions for road traffic and vehicle inspection in Lagos into law for Governor’s assent.
The new amended traffic law stipulates that driving in a direction prohibited by the road traffic law; driving against traffic, popularly known as one way driving now attracts a 3year jail term, while a first offender gets one year term and the vehicle forfeited to the State Government.
Bullion van are not exempted from the law as any bullion van caught driving in a direction prohibited by the road traffic law will found its vehicle forfeited, while abandoned of vehicle on highway will be fined N50,000.00 or 3year imprisonment, or both fine and imprisonment.
The bill which emanated from the executive arm is aimed at regulating vehicular movement and to impose sanctions on any erring vehicle operator in the State.
Lawmakers had carefully examined the bill in June during a public hearing where all stakeholders were invited and their input and memoranda were considered at the Committee stage.
According to schedule (1) section (2) of traffic offences and penalties, it stated that riding a motor-cycle against traffic and riding on the kerb, median or road setbacks, 1st time offender will attract N20, 000.00; subsequent offender N30, 000.00 or the riders motor-cycle will be impounded.
Smoking while driving will attract N20,000.00, failure to give way to traffic on the left at a roundabout N20,000.00, disobeying traffic control will be N20,000.00 violation of route by commercial vehicles will attract N20,000.00.
Riding motor-cycle without crash helmet for rider and passenger will attract N20, 000:00 or 3years imprisonment or both.
The law also prohibited under aged person (under 18yrs old) riding a motorcycle with fine of N20, 000.00.
Operating a motor-cycle in a restricted area or on prohibited route will be fined N20, 000.00 or found his motor-cycle impounded.
In schedule II, section (4) or prohibited route for motorcycle and tricycle on major highway in Lagos. The highways are Lagos Ibadan expressway, Apapa Oshodi, Oworonshoki, Lagos Ikorodu, Lagos-Abeokuta, Babangida Boulevarde way; others are Eti-Osa Lekki Epe expressway, Funsho Williams avenue, Agege motor road and Eti-Osa Lekki coastal road.
Section (4) of the bill stipulates vehicle inspection offences and penalties which includes driving without valid driver’s license. Such offender would found his vehicle impounded. Learner driver without permit will attract N20, 000.00, driving with fake number plate 1st offender N20, 000.00 and 6 month imprisonment or both.
Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola is expected to sign the bill into law soon.
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GOOD NEWS,I HOPE THIS IS NOT FOR THE POOR PEOPLE ONLY? WE SHOULD ALL SUPPORT THIS DEVELOPMENT AND SAVE LIVES AND PROPERTY.GOVT SHLD ENSURE THE ROADS ARE SAFE AND IN GOOD ORDER AS WELL.
ReplyDeleteHow is this good news? This is a plan to further empower the vampires (LASTMA, Police, FRSC) that have been stalking unsuspecting road users and forcing them to part with their hard-earned cash, over flimsy traffic rules. E.g. When is a vehicle considered 'abandoned'? If it breaks down in the night, and I come back for it the next day?
ReplyDeleteThe fines and penalties for these offences are unrealistic and anti-citizen.
3 years jail term for driving against traffic? This is no good news. Whatever happened to community service sentences like "Sweep the highway for a week", "Serve in a motherless babies home for a month", e.t.c. These lawmakers need to see the congested hell-on-earth we call "prisons" in Nigeria before sending trivial offenders down there.
ReplyDeleteI hope the interest of the poor is at hand when promogating these laws
ReplyDeleteVague rule and policy...mcheeeeeeew
ReplyDeleteThese draconian laws lacks any kind of civilization and is a ticket for corruption. The people who came up with and passed these laws do not mean well. Let us be careful with our revenue drives. Some of the so called traffic signs are barely visible. Stopping and correcting an offender is the norm in civilized climes. - AJ
ReplyDeleteI think punishments should be set high so that offenders won't even think about it..but the break down law should be at least two days
ReplyDeleteGood point, when is a vehicle considered ‘abandoned’, we all know the deplorable conditions the roads are in our beloved country, and the dangerous condition of a good 50% of the vehicles that ply our roads. As l understand it, the law is there to protect the innocent, the venerable and save lives. First point, I ride a power bike, does that mean I cannot go on the above listed roads. 2) The greatest detractors from the Law are the Law executers them self. They are the first to follow one way and every tom, dick and harry follows too. I have never seen a policeman arrest a policeman a LASTMA, Police, FRSC etc. arrest each other and they break the law with impunity every second of each day. We are all stuck in traffic and I see scores of G Wagons, ML’s, Range’s lead by officers in black with their AK47 and flashing blue lights taking one way, do you arrest them. To me the laws are fine, we need to set and lead by example. How many Generals, Commissioners is Fashola going to arrest on the BRT Lane, he can’t do it and therein lies the problem. We need a monitor to monitor the monitors.
ReplyDeleteTHe laws are a good things ,except for the smoking when driving ,that should be a personal thing not for the state
ReplyDeleteIts a good policy, but as always its going to have implementation problems.
ReplyDelete*LATMA & Police officers enriching themselves
*The Cabals commiting same offences and going scout free.
*There are no monitoring gadgets to monitor the monitors for accessiveness and abuse of power.
*There is the issue of corrupt and sharp practices when offenders are caught. That is offering of bribes.
Well to me if Government are sincere policy would work, but i want to watch on tv and hear on radio big names caught and jailed. The law should not just be for the poor.