FRSC, fix the licence, plate backlog

Nigerians are now expected to pay more for driver’s licenses and vehicle number plates nationwide. The increase, which came into effect on June 8, followed a May announcement by the Joint Tax Board (JTB), which is the highest body for tax authorities in Nigeria. The JTB had argued that the price adjustment was due to […]

Nigerians are now expected to pay more for driver’s licenses and vehicle number plates nationwide. The increase, which came into effect on June 8, followed a May announcement by the Joint Tax Board (JTB), which is the highest body for tax authorities in Nigeria. The JTB had argued that the price adjustment was due to the introduction of enhanced security features in the number plate and driver’s licence, and an incidental increase in production cost.

Under the new pricing, motor vehicle drivers will now pay N15, 000 for a three-year license, up from the previous N10,000, while a five-year license increased from N15,000 to N21,000. The increase also affected motorcycle and tricycle operators, who will now pay N7,000 for a three-year license and N11,000 for a five-year license.

For the number plates, standard private vehicle and standard commercial number plates now cost N30,000, articulated vehicle number plates cost N90,000, dealer vehicle number plates are put at N100,000, while out-of-series number plates cost N150,000. Fancy vehicle number plates now cost N400,000, and government standard vehicle number plates are N80,000 and N120,000 for government fancy vehicle number plates.

The plate increase will also see motorcyclists pay N12, 000 for a standard number plate and N20,000 for government-standard motorcycle number plate. Fancy motorcycle number plates and government fancy motorcycle number plates now cost N50,000.

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While many Nigerians anticipated this increase since its announcement in May, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) must fulfil its responsibility by delivering professional, efficient and high-quality service.

Over the years, the FRSC has enforced regulations against Nigerians who habitually drive without a license or with an expired or fake one. This offence is captured under Section 23 (1) of the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, 2007, which states that a person shall not drive on a highway a motor vehicle of any class or description unless he is the holder of a valid driver’s licence.

Section 23(2) states that a person who acts in contravention of subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of N10, 000. Again, Section 24 of the act states that a person who, while driving on a highway, is in possession of a forged driver’s licence or forged documents shall be guilty of an offence and be liable on conviction to a fine of N20,000.

As a general rule, driving with a valid license assures road users that the driver has gone through some formal training and has been certified fit to operate a vehicle and drive on the highway. The driver’s license is also a document for law enforcement agencies to verify the identity of the driver as well as his or her driving history. It is one of a government’s intrinsic responsibilities in guaranteeing the safety of the driver, his/her passengers and the public at large.

However, many Nigerians find the process of obtaining a valid license cumbersome. A process that should ordinarily not take more than 48 hours for application, capturing and processing can now take up to two years for some.

Many applicants for driver’s licenses and vehicle number plates have voiced growing frustration, as they have yet to receive them despite multiple visits to FRSC centres. Meanwhile, the FRSC has not provided any clear explanation for the delay in making these documents available. This is unacceptable. For Nigerians to make full payments for their license and number plates, and two years later to be still told they are not ready without providing a cogent reason as to why this is so, demonstrates a blatant disregard for accountability, integrity and efficiency on the part of the FRSC.

Although the FRSC reported in May that it had 256,567 processed but unclaimed driver’s licenses across Nigeria, a quick review of the unclaimed license list on its website suggests that many could already be considered expired, based on their batch numbers. Should this be the case, then the FRSC must ask itself, why anyone should pick up an already expired license which no longer serves any relevance? It is also possible that some people may have died, some may have left the country or relocated to another state, while others whose license expired before it got to them may have applied for new ones.

Again, the fact that there are unclaimed licenses should not be an excuse to delay the process for others, especially since this is a service paid for.

No driver’s license applicant who has gone through the legitimate process should be left in suspense. If for any technical reasons, the licenses are not ready, the applicant deserves to know the cause of the delay, be given an apology from the FRSC, be told how the FRSC intends to fix the problem, as well as assurances on when the licenses and plates will be ready. This is how proactive and efficient government agencies operate, especially when it is dealing with a document that has an expiration date.

We, therefore, call on the FRSC to introduce technology that will not only speed up the process but also reduce direct and physical contact between FRSC officials and applicants in order to curb corruption. The era of license centres being jam-packed with Nigerians waiting to be captured must end. The FRSC must reinvent itself into an upright agency that offers good and efficient service to the public by scaling up its objective as a public service agency, not a revenue-generating one.

With a new price now in place and commenced, we call on the Corps Marshall General to fix all challenges related to the issuance of licenses, plate numbers and other issues. He must ensure that all backlogs are processed and made available to their owners within the next few weeks. There is no reason why Nigerians should pay more for a faulty system that has left many frustrated.