Say they’re hostile, uncivil
Although Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) are employed to maintain sanity on the roads by ensuring that vehicles are roadworthy at all times, recent activities of officials of the agency have left much to be desired.

Motorists say the officials should be trained to be more civil in the discharge of their duties.

They are said to carry out indiscriminate stoppage of cars at odd places, causing traffic snarl and in some cases crashes. Apart from this, the VIOs, motorists alleged, are high-handed, a development, which gets them into trouble with members of the public routinely.

It was such indiscretion that led to their ban by former governor Akinwumi Ambode for nearly two years, when a Honda Accord car belonging to Oluwadamilare Afolarin got burnt in questionable circumstances, with the owner and the VIO officers accusing themselves of culpability.

Afolarin’s vehicle with registration number AKD 367 BG was impounded by the VIOs at their Eti-Osa office after it was spotted with a cracked windscreen. For this, he was fined the sum of N80, 000.

As he rallied round to source for funds to pay the fine, he got a call from one of the VIOs that his car had got burnt.

Afolarin was prevailed on to accept the sum of N200, 000 as compensation, which he rejected. It was after that they accused him of setting his car ablaze.

This led to Afolarin seeking help through the media. When the then governor got wind of the incident, he was unhappy and consequently ordered that VIOs should permanently vacate the roads.

A commercial driver, Adisa Adebayo, who admits to seeing VIOs regularly of late, urged the state government to step up its game by allowing technology to do the job, instead of once again allowing poorly tutored men to return to harass motorists.

Also, a taxi driver, who plies Muritala Muhammad Airport route, Chibuzor Onyeku told The Guardian that VIO officers do not operate with courtesy.

“The way they behave when they are on official duties leaves much to be desired, unlike men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).  FRSC officials are more courteous and well trained. They would ensure that motorists park well, they will ask you for necessary documents, but VIO officers are not like that.

“If VIO officials stop you and you try to park well, before you know it, they will book your car and give you ticket without even wanting  to hear from you”

Also, a motor parts seller at Ladipo auto part market Mushin, Olumide Adebayo, narrated his encounter with VIO officers.

He said: “ One of my recent encounters with VIO officers was at Cele roundabout, where I learnt they have an office.

“When they stop me, I was told to park at the centre of the road. You know when you stopped a vehicle at the centre of the road, it will definitely cause traffic snarl. There were a lot of cars behind and they soon started hooting their horns.

“ So, I told them to allow me park very well, but they refused to allow me park properly , until  some  people came down from their vehicles and started shouting at them before I was allowed to park well.

“What amazed me was that I was booked for arguing with them, but I was never told why I was stopped in the first place.”

A company driver at Isolo,  Lukman Idowu, told The Guardian  that he had lost count of encounters with them.

He said: “With the kind of work that I do, I have lost count on how many times I have been stopped by VIO officials, they always stop me because the company car that I drive is a little bit old. So, anytime they stop me they are always surprised that the vehicle papers are complete.”

According to him, VIO officers need to be civil and told not to harass innocent drivers for minor offences.

Another motorist Muritala Adeola said government should train VIO officers to work with human feelings and not to be heartless as there are minor offences that do not demand forcing people to pay fines.

He said: “We know that the country is hard for most residents. Many are only trying to survive but the VIO officials will stop you and fine you for unimaginable reasons and you have no choice than to pay or  your vehicle will be impounded.”