The Lagos State Government has instructed law enforcement authorities to detain drivers who have damaged licence plates and those who have no licence plates at all.
The state government has consequently asked motorists to refrain from illegal behaviour in order to avoid prosecution since the act breaches sections 15 and 16 of the State’s Transport Reform Law 2018.
Engr. Abdulhafiz Toriola, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, made the statements over the weekend.
Explaining the anomaly of wrongful use of the number plate, the permanent secretary stated that; covering of number plate without authorization, using a faded number plate, use of a damaged number plate, misuse of the number plate, and non-use of number plate all violate the law, especially given the nation’s current security challenges.
The Permanent Secretary emphasised, using section 16 of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, TSRL, 2018, that “a person who drives a vehicle that is not registered or does not have an affixed identification mark in the prescribed manner commits an offence.”
While emphasising the need to have automobiles properly registered with number plates, Toriola warned that a vehicle without a number can be used to perpetrate crimes that are never tracked.
He went on to say that “the purpose of using number plate is for proper identification and security as it is personalised for each vehicle.”
Toriola consequently recommended motorists to wash their vehicle’s licence plates with water rather than chemicals to avoid damage or fading.
In further explaining the act of number plate misuse, the Permanent Secretary stated that the use of private number plates for commercial vehicles and elsewhere violates the TSRL, 2018.
Toriola advised individuals who are currently unable to register their vehicles for one reason or another to contact the State’s Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, MVAA, for the issuance of Temporary Vehicle Tags (TVT) in accordance with Section 193 of the TSRL, 2018 pending their final decision on permanent registration or otherwise.
Toriola said:
“The Law Enforcement Agencies have the been mandated to apprehend defaulters. I urge vehicle owners to comply with the State Government to strengthen the security architecture already put in place.”
cc: Vanguard Ng
