The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi has directed a nationwide clampdown on motorcycles and tricycles without number plates with effect from August 1st 2019, as it has become difficult to identify such category of vehicles when used to commit traffic and criminal offences.

In a statement issued by Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Public Education Officer, this development has become imperative following the Corps’ renewed commitment to ensuring security of lives and properties of the citizens, by controlling and reducing the rate of crime. Motorcycles and tricycles without number plate are believed not to be captured in the National Vehicle database hence, in the event of a crash or crime, cannot be traced.

Buttressing this further, Kazeem quoted a part of the FRSC Establishment Act that empowers the Corps to achieve the aforementioned. According to him, “The National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2012 was made pursuant to section 5(e) of the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007 and specifies the type of Identification Number Plates for all categories of vehicles including motorcycles, tricycles and omnibus. Regulations 8 (1a and 1b) also states that “a vehicle may be registered in anyone of the following categories – motorcycles or tricycles.”

Furthermore, “Regulations 39(9) of the NRTR 2012 provides that “All private and commercial vehicles shall as from the commencement of these regulations have on them Vehicle Identification Number Plates referred to in this regulation, and it shall be an offence for any vehicle not to have the said Identification Number Plates.” Vehicles in this context include motorcycles and tricycles.

According to Public Education Officer, Commanding officers nationwide have been mandated to engage the relevant stakeholders and associations to intimate them on the proposed clampdown. Public Education Officers have equally been directed to carry out all forms of advocacies to sensitize the riders on the need to register their motorcycles and tricycles. The general public has also been advised to desist from patronizing motorcycles and tricycles without number plates as they stand the risk of been abandoned in times of crash or crime.

It will be recalled that the National Vehicle Identification Scheme has immensely aided the recovery of stolen vehicles and track down perpetrators of such act. The clampdown, in collaboration with other security agencies will help in the reduction of crimes to further bring down the rate of insecurity.