Bill seeking to establish the National Road Transport Council rejected by Reps

A bill to create the Nigerian National Road Transport Council was rejected by the Senate.

The purpose of the law was to create an organization tasked with overseeing road transportation and the transportation industry in Nigeria.

During Thursday’s plenary, however, lawmakers rejected the bill that Deputy Senate Leader Oyelola Ashiru had sponsored.

Sen. Mohammed Monguno, the Senate Majority Whip, introduced the National Road Transport Council in Nigeria Bill, 2024, on behalf of the sponsor.

He noted that a number of issues were seriously impeding the efficiency, safety, and growth potential of the road transport sector in Nigeria.

“These issues, among others include; lack of comprehensive policy framework, inadequate insurance coverage, poor regulation and oversight,” he said.

The lawmaker said in order to address the multifaceted challenges, the bill sought to establish the council as the regulatory body for the road transport sector.

In his contribution to the debate, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole (APC-Edo), vehemently opposed the bill.

“The police have the traffic division and they do their job so diligently; such that if there are roadblocks, you will find them trying to manage traffic.

“If there are accidents, they do everything to establish who is wrong; who is right and prepare to go to court, if the party decides to go to court.’’

He also said the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), was later established to manage and regulate traffic situation, across the country.

Oshiomhole expressed regrets that the FRSC had not been performing its responsibility well in that regard.

“I think what we need is to make existing institutions to work; where they fail to work, we evoke sanction; just recently, I had a conversation with a fellow senator in this chamber.

“I think this House must be seen to act in a manner that is in tune with those broad policy statements that we had accepted, among which is, to avoid multiplication of agencies that have duplicated functions.

“Why Nigeria is committed to cutting federal government’s excessive overhead expenditure, more agencies should not be created,’’ he said.

Other senators, who contributed and opposed the bill, included Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP-Kogi) and Victor Umeh (LP-Anambra).