FCT residents use economic hardship as excuse to break laws

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says many residents of the FCT use economic hardship as excuse to engage in acts that undermine public safety.

FRSC FCT Sector Commander, Mr Sunday Oghenekaro, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

“The man who is using the private car for commercial purpose will tell you, `I have lost my job; how else do you want me to feed?’.

“But the question is have you done the right thing? The fact that you have lost your job does not mean you should do things your way. It shouldn't be.

`Of course we do know that times are hard, but that should not make us to indulge in things that are at variance with public safety.

“When people continue to use their private cars for commercial purpose, it gives room for criminal elements to pretend to be people who are also operating ‘kabu-kabu’ to carry off unwary commuters.’’

Oghenekaro also cited the refusal of people to use pedestrian bridges, boarding or alighting from vehicles at designated bus stops as offences committed by residence.

He dismissed the impression that the situation showed a failure on the part of the FRSC to enforce relevant road traffic laws in the territory.

“Where you see a marginal show of this, you may begin to talk about failure of the law enforcer.

“But if you look at the entire spectrum of the society, people seem to have thrown in the towel to what they consider as economic crunch. However, it doesn’t tie up.

“How do you explain a pedestrian crossing directly under a pedestrian bridge? Is that the failure of the enforcer?

“Let me tell you what happens in respect to this footbridge enforcement. The very first occasion of trying to enforce the law would have ended in public outrage.

“As we try to hold them, some will even run back on the express, and if any of them had been hit it would have been that, you people should have found a better way of doing this.

“Go and do more public enlightenment; people will even come with all manners of suggestion.’’

The sector commander said the Corps was expanding its sensitisation campaigns to worship centres, especially Churches and Mosques.

“We are going to the ministries, departments and agencies of government because the people guilty of these are the working class, traders and businessmen,’’ he said.