Reps Pass Bill to Allow FRSC Officials to work with Guns.

A bill to create a special armed squad for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) as well as other provisions to make the agency operates better has been passed for second reading at the House of Representatives.

The bill sponsored by Rep. Abiodun Derin Adesida and Rep. Olaide Lateef Muhammed seeks to amend the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Act, 2007 to provide for the establishment of FRSC Special Armed Squad.

It also seeks to make FRSC officers on the rank of Deputy Corp Marshal enjoy benefits attached to the rank including retirement benefits as well as empower the corps with the sole responsibility for road traffic administration and safety management, preventing and minimising road traffic crashes on public roads, supervision of users of such public roads and regulation of traffic.

The bill also seeks to empower the FRSC with powers of clearing of obstruction on any part of the public roads and for educating drivers, motorists and other members of the public generally on the proper use of public roads.

The bill was unanimously supported by the members after a voice vote for its passage for second reading. Similarly, the House also adopted a motion moved by Rep. Garba Ibrahim Muhammad at the plenary on Thursday, which called on the FRSC to utilise more technology in its operations.

The motion asked the FRSC to embrace technologically-assisted enforcement such as Aautomatic Vehicle Local and Automated Traffic Enforcement systems; Advanced analytics and data platforms amongst others.

It also urged the FRSC to evaluate the effectiveness of enforcement strategies to ascertain whether technologically-assisted methods reduced traffic violations and improved safety. The House adopted the motion and referred it to the House Committee on FRSC.