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FRSC okays 208 private driving schools

By From Betty Aderibigbe, Abuja
11 May 2010   |   1:30 pm
TO ensure that only licensed drivers who are duly trained by accredited driving schools ply the highways, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has approved 208 centres in the country that met its minimum standards and requirements for operations.The FRSC Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, Mr. Osita Chidoka, disclosed this while presenting operational certificates to…
TO ensure that only licensed drivers who are duly trained by accredited driving schools ply the highways, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has approved 208 centres in the country that met its minimum standards and requirements for operations.

The FRSC Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, Mr. Osita Chidoka, disclosed this while presenting operational certificates to proprietors of the driving schools at the weekend in Abuja.

Chidoka, who was represented by the Assistant Corps Marshal in Charge of Training, Standards and Certification, Mr. Baffa Daneji, said of the 343 driving schools that applied for licenses, 334 were assessed and only 208 met FRSC’s basic requirements and standards.

The FRSC boss disclosed that the certification process was necessary and “in substantial compliance with the FRSC mandate as enshrined in its 2007 Establishment Act to regulate the driving schools in the country”.

He also explained that the certification process followed due process in line with the Federal Government’s deliberate policy to provide safety on Nigerian roads and warned against sabotage.

The FRSC had announced that the certification policy takes effect from May 1, 2010. The corps marshal has accordingly directed the commands in all the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to enforce the policy.

Chidoka also declared illegal the over 100 other private driving schools currently operating in the country which failed to meet the minimum requirements for certification and ordered them to stop operations.

FRSC’s Head of Department, Training Standards and Certification, Mr. Emmanuel Ngutibi, said rigorous process of inspection visits to all the private driving schools that applied for recognition were made and that those issued certificates scored over 50 per cent as minimum benchmark.

Some of these basic requirements for a standard driving school, according to him, include classroom, road worthy vehicle (s) for driving instruction, driving instructor (s), course manual, highway code, traffic laws/regulations, first aid facilities and fire extinguisher, among other equipment.

He added that the idea was to catch the Nigerian ‘young’ behind the wheels, hence the need to go through a certified driving school.

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