Motorists have condemned the N25,000 sanctions on faded vehicle number plates and the high cost of renewing vehicle particulars by the government.

The motorists who spoke with journalists on Sunday in Abuja described the action as a ploy to increase hardship for Nigerians.

They said a subtle increase in the cost of living without corresponding added benefits readily inflicts more hardship on motorists and other end-users

The spokesman of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Bisi Kazeem, had recently claimed that the use of faded number plates had implications for national security.

Peter Oguche, a banker with Polaris Bank, said the issue of faded number plates was a big business for the FRSC personnel, who now harass all non-government vehicles.

“Considering the current state of the economy, it is outrageous to impose upon citizens a penalty of up to N25,000 for ‘faded’ number plates, which only they can determine.

“These days, the superficial thought processes and lack of conscience in those who govern Nigeria allow agencies to get away with extortion,” he lamented.

Olusegun Ojo, a businessman, said there was no justification for citizens having to bear the cost of the FRSC’s incompetence in producing befitting quality number plates.

Mr Ojo said if any replacement was required, the onus should be on the agency that issued the low-quality number plates in the first place.

He lamented that FRSC accepted no blame but blamed the weather for damaging number plates and car wash attendants, who they claim use abrasive materials!

“Perhaps the worst aspect of the matter is that to apply for a replacement, number plate car owners have to waste both time and money visiting an FRSC centre, ” he said.

Hassan Saliu, a car dealer, insisted that the government ask themselves what happens after a citizen buys a car and pays for a driving licence, number plate, tinted glass permit, fire extinguisher, C-caution, and roadworthiness.

Mr Saliu said, “Are the roads themselves worthy? Fuel and diesel prices continuously increase, now gas is also high in price.”

He lamented that the FRSC wanted to make money from road users with nothing new to offer.

An Ibadan-based lawyer, Abraham Onu, in a telephone interview, faulted the FRSC for abdicating its mandate and responsibility to Nigerians in pursuit of the revenue-generating agencies’ role.

Mr Onu maintained that FRSC was not established as a revenue-generating agency but to ensure safety on federal highways.

He said the FRSC was not only enforcing its rules indiscriminately, even on state roads violating the federal principle but also elevating revenue generation above its core mandate.

“To add to that distress by impounding their vehicles or confiscating their licenses and imposing a fine using faded number plates is against the principles of natural justice,” he said.

(NAN)