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Much Ado about Federal Road Safety Commission
The administration of lbrahim Babaginda saw to the establishment of the Federal Road Safety Commission. It was a well thought out government agency designed to ensure that traffic on our roads flows. The Commission was privileged at inception to be under the leadership of Nigeria's only Noble laureate Wole Sonyinka. At the time, the Commission was incorruptible. Traffic offenders were made to pay fines in distant places, which served as deterrent against further traffic offences.
Many years after the duo of Babaginda and Sonyinka left office, the Commission appears to have completely lost focus, except only that it is now relevant for purposes of issuing Driving Licenses to individuals many of which have never driven a car in their entire life, but merely require the licenses for identification or for other transactions, particularly collecting money from banks and issuing Vehicle Plate Numbers.
The present administration in its wisdom merged the Commission with the Nigeria police there were sentiment at the time that the police would corrupt the Commission. The government had argued and rightly too, that the Commission should rather than allowing it self to be corrupted by the police; ought to positively impact on the police which it was being fussed into. It was noted that the police runs the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency; and creditably well too; it followed that the police can run the Commission.
Before the police, the Commission was run by men from Nigeria Army. The Commission was not any better then than its present position. It becomes clear therefore that the problem of the Commission is not that of who runs it, but its inability to properly apply itself in the Nigeria polity.
In the main, the responsibilities of the Commission where at the time of its establishment, exercised by that group of traffic policemen more popularly known as "Yellow Fever". And like yellow fever, the Commission failed to make any appreciable impact on the traffic situation, particularly in Lagos State. But unlike the yellow fevers. Who one still find controlling traffic at different locations, men of the Commission are hardly found any where except in their offices that is, if you bother to pay them a visit, which visit must be within office hours.
The services of the Commission are available as one is made to believe, by special arrangement. That may explain their occasional presence at the Chevron roundabout in the lekky area of Lagos. The inability of the Commission to properly apply itself now cost government at every level huge investment annually. The police are very visible clearing traffic at bottle necks never mind that the green currency notes "Muritala" exchange hands, the government of the states, and their subordinates at the local government also have traffic control units, that is not to mentioned the yellow fevers. All other agencies established are ordinarily unnecessary investment of public funds, had the Commission been alive to its responsibilities, and properly applies itself to traffic regulation and control.
There are a number of individuals who volunteer their time to ensure that traffic flows. Among this group in Lagos State, are bus and "molue" conductors many of who volunteer their services for the sole purpose of creating avenues for their vehicles to escape traffic bottlenecks. It should be noted that religious bodies now involve themselves in traffic control. Notable of the group is the Winner's Chapel.
The Lagos State government having observed the failure of the Commission to function established its own agency by name Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA). The Lagos approach is seen as a major relief to traffic bottleneck in the State. The Lagos agency like the Commission is designed to ensure that there is free flow of traffic in the State. In addition, it is designed to be a revenue earner for the State. Presently, the agency generates a reasonable income for the State, through the services it renders like the removal of broken vehicles may of which builds up traffic and result in traffic bottlenecks. It mounts traffic control point at many parts of the State. Infact the agency is afforded more respect than the police and other agencies (including the Commission) involved in traffic regulation and control in the State. Their presence at spots where there is heavy traffic build up changes the situation.
The agency in the first place was necessitated by the inability of the Commission to function properly. Now that its existence has helped the Lagos traffic situation it will not be out of place to request the Commission to send its senior officers to understudy the Lagos approach for about six months or more, with a view to improving their operations. The failure of the Commission to improve invites calls for its disbandment, winding up, or is it down now; otherwise its continued existence other than for purposes of issuing Driving Licenses and Vehicle Number plate issuance remains a huge waste of public resources. If however the Commission remains solely for purposes of issuing driving licenses, than its name, operational structure should necessarily change. If that is to be, its work force should also be reduced to avoid the creation of another white elephant.