The Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC has announced an approved minimum age of 25 years for obtaining a commercial driver’s licence.
This may have stirred a human rights controversy as in Nigeria, a person is deemed to be an adult from the age of 18.
The Lagos State Sector Commander, FRSC, Nseobong Charles Akpabio said that the step was intended to get rid of underage drivers and sanitise the profession.
“An underage commercial driver has no commitment and may see driving as one of those jobs that could be toyed with. Many road crashes, especially with articulated vehicles, were usually traced to motor-boy drivers, who were without experience.
“Road crash involving a commercial bus may jeopardise the existence or progress of 10 families and if it involved freight vehicle, it will affect the progress of the company.
“Drivers are very important as they can either mar or make a person, because if there is safe arrival, goals and aims can be achieved, but in a reversed case, such goals and aims have been cut short,” he was quoted as saying.
Akpabio called on transport unions, parents, as well as passengers, to assist the commission in checking underage drivers in order to achieve the United Nation’s Decade of Action for Safer Road Users.
He said that the approved minimum age of 25 years for obtaining a commercial driver’s licence would help in checking road crashes usually caused by underage drivers. (NAN)
FRSC will be better off making compulsory eye test/examination at their offices and ALL 774 LGA clinics in Nigeria as a prerequisite for obtaining and retaining commercial driving license every 2yrs starting from age 25yrs and every 1 year for those above 45yrs; and for private driving license every 5yrs starting from age 18yrs and every 2 years after 55yrs for private drivers license.Age limit should be introduced as 60yrs for commercial and 70 for private driving. This eye test requirement will help create 77,400 new medical jobs – 100 in each 774 LGAs and reduce accidents on Nigerian roads from blind drivers/drivers with red eyes due to alcohol/drug addiction.