Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs has recommended a cut in the price charged by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) for new driver’s licence and vehicle number plates.
The committee pegged the price for new driver’s licence at N6, 000 as against the initial N15, 000, while it recommended N4,000 as new price for vehicle number plates as against the previous rate of N8,400.
The committee had held a public hearing over the increase in prices of vehicle licence plates and driver’s licence following a resolution by the senate over the arbitrary rise in the charges.
According to a report by the committee led by Senator Dahiru Kuta it also urged the FRSC to adjust the August 2012 deadline for replacement of new number plates by another six months to enable Nigerians acquire the vehicle number plates at the new reduced prices.
The report which also decried the overlap of functions between the Nigeria Police Force, FRSC and VIO, added that the agencies need to pull their resources together for the safety of the lives on Nigerian roads.
The report which could not be read at plenary because of logistic reasons, said the price regime imposed by the FRSC was exploitative and arbitrary, just as it? mandated the FRSC to forthwith reverse the prices in view of the national rejection of the previous price regime.
The report also directed the VIO of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja to stop the e-coding of vehicles and collection of N2000 from motorists.
The report read in part “Much as people see the new number plate and driver’s license scheme by the FRSC as being laudable, overwhelming majority see the price as being prohibitive.
“The committee recommends that motorcycles plate number and driver’s license should revert to the old rate of N1500 and N750 respectively as the majority of motorcyclists are peasants.”