The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), on Wednesday arrested 110 traffic violators in Lagos, under its Operation Thunderstorm.
Lagos Sector Commander, FRSC, Olusegun Ogungbemide disclosed this in a statement by the FRSC Route Commander and Public Education Officer, Mrs Olabisi Sonusi, in Lagos.
He explained that the command had begun a special operation, tagged “Operation Thunderstorm”, to clamp down on Very Important Personalities (VIPs) for flagrant disobedience to the National Road Traffic Regulations.
According to him, the corps has noticed a new trend of aberration and disregard to law and order.
”Some VIPs are in the habit of not fixing number plates and fond of replacing their number plates with pet names.
“A situation where some VIPs and motorists change one of their Number Plates, which comes in pairs, with their pet names or their popular slogans can no longer be tolerated,” he warned.
The sector commander said that the operation had recorded 110 traffic offenders for number plate violation and other offences in private and commercial vehicles within the state.
He said that the operations which started July 28, was one of the command’s intervention patrol aimed at reducing road traffic crashes and also to stop impunity of not properly affixing number plates and other violations.
“A total of 110 vehicles were issued tickets for 150 various offences, 75 vehicles got impounded and 35 documents were confiscated during the operation.
“The FRSC boss wishes to remind motorists that number plate has security features that should not be tampered with under any disguise,” he said.
The sector commander further explained that private and commercial number plates came in pairs and were meant for front and rear of the vehicle except for articulated vehicle number plates that came in three.
He urged commanding officers to improve operations across the state in line with the corps’ mandate of 15 per cent road traffic crashes and 20 per cent fatalities reduction.
He also advised VIPs and motorists to revert to using their original number plates, which were not expected to be covered.
Ogungbemide added that in case of any emergency, motorists should call FRSC toll free number 122 for prompt rescue.
