- Nigeria's Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has arrested 30 motorcyclists at Bwari for violating the commission's directive on helmet usage that came into effect on 1 January this year.
Late December FRSC set out safety laws regarding commercial motorcyclists, calling for the use of crash helmets for drivers of motorcycle taxis and their passengers, in a bid to cut down on road fatalities.
The FRSC Unit Commander in Kubwa Tanimu Ali Sule, said the commission has carried out enough education and enlightenment campaigns at Bwari, saying motorcyclists in the area have no justification for not using the safety device.
Mr Tanimu said the operation staged in Bwara was successful with no resistance from the motorcyclists. "Those arrested have been going to Bwari Area Council to procure their helmets that must be shown to FRSC officials in addition to a fine of N2,000 before their motorcycles are released to them," he said.
Last week, the commission arrested motorcyclists for wearing pumpkin, cooking pots tied with string or strips of rubber from old tyres. The drivers defended their act of not adhering to the commissions rules saying the new helmets are too expensive.
The commission has also threatened to impound bikes of drivers without helmets and to take them to court.
The commander has also advised motorists plying Kubwa express road to obey traffic rules and regulations in order to make 2009 accident free, also vowing to continue with arrest of motorists who would be caught violating the regulations.
Local reports have also revealed passengers' reluctance to wear helmets, complaining that they could be bewitched to make them unconscious and become easier targets to robbery and rape for women.
More than 4,000 people die on Nigeria's roads every year and 20,000 are injured, according to the FRSC.
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