New number plates pending

Federal Road Safety Commission has said despite a court’s affirmation of its powers to regulate vehicle number plates and driver’s licence, the enforcement of the new number plate is still on hold.

The commission had suspended the enforcement of the new vehicle number
plate and the driving licence, following two separate court judgements
from Lagos and Abuja, which ruled that the scheme was illegal.

However, an Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka had declared on Friday that the FRSC had legal powers to make regulations regarding the design and production of the new vehicle number plate and driver’s license in addition to the registration of vehicles.

A statement by the Deputy Corps Enlightenment Officer, FRSC
Headquarters, Mr. Bisi Kazeem, on Saturday, had said this was part of
a judgement delivered by Justice Peter Umeadi in a suit filed by Mr. Ajefo Ekwo.

The suit had challenged the constitutional powers of the FRSC to
enforce compliance by all motorists of its directive for the re-registration of motor vehicles previously registered by obtaining and replacing same with the new vehicle number plates.

Speaking to our correspondent on Sunday, Kazeem said the FRSC would not continue with the enforcement until an appeal filed by the commission against an earlier judgement stopping stopping the exercise had been vacated.