Traffic Offences: C’River Impounds 4,021 Vehicles

No fewer than 4,021 vehicles are said to have been impounded for traffic related offenses in Cross River State.
The Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer, Mr. Paul Bepeh, made the revelation while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after declaring opened a one-week annual workshop and training course for vehicle inspection officers in the state.
Bepeh stated that 215 motorists were fined by the state mobile courts for traffic violation offenses stressing that  4,014 applicants had been  awarded driving licenses while 211 failed the  driving tests leading to their being denied  driving license.
The Chief VIO stated that those stern measures were taken in vehicle inspection as well as the award of drivers license in order to bring down the number of carnages on our roads.
Bepeh said, “During the same period, the department initiated a new scheme for training tricycle operators  and award of operators licenses  which enabled us to award 1,0310 operators with licenses while 121 were denied the  license for reasons bordering on over age, inability to identify road signs and bad eye sights.”
He said that  the road traffic department also introduced the online drivers license testing in the state which has added value to the process of awarding drivers license to applicants because they  can apply from any part of the country before appearing physically on a fixed date for diving and other tests.
“The high rate of vehicular accidents on our roads daily lead to unnecessary loss of lives and destruction of property which is unacceptable, therefore everything is being  done to stem such ugly tide”
Bepeh maintained that the department very tirelessly to live up to its mandate to ensure that all vehicles meet up with environmental and safety standards any vehicle which fails to meet with the prescribed requirement would be impounded if found on the roads in the state.
“We have procured additional equipment for speed limit, tire quality and  other essential components of the vehicle and any vehicle that does not meet such requirements would be impounded if  found plying the roads in the state,” he explained.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar