Senate rejects bill on National Road Transport Council

 The Senate has rejected a bill seeking to establish the National Road Transport Council in Nigeria.

The bill sought to establish an agency that will be saddled with the responsibility of regulating the road transport and the transportation profession in Nigeria.

However, lawmakers rejected the bill which was sponsored by the Deputy Senate Leader, Oyelola Ashiru, during Thursday’s plenary.

The bill was titled National Road Transport Council in Nigeria Bill, 2024, and was presented by Senate Majority Whip, Sen. Mohammed Monguno, on behalf of the sponsor.

He said the current state of Nigerian road transport industry was plagued by numerous challenges that severely undermined its efficiency, safety and growth potential.

“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).