The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Bello, says his administration has strengthened enforcement to tackle reckless driving in the nation’s capital.

Mr Bello told journalists on Sunday that offenders are taken to the hospital for a psychiatric test to ascertain their mental health while their vehicles are impounded.

“The offenders will pay N10,000 for the mental check-up, and if the results show that they have a psychiatric problem, then we will keep them at the hospital.

” However, if it is not a psychiatric case, we will take them to the Vehicle Inspection Officer’s office, where we have a conference room, and then they will make them pay a fine,” Mr Bello said.

According to the minister, after payment of fines, the offenders will also be made to partake in lessons on driving manners for two weeks.

Stating that the administration has a database of taxis, including those registered under specific companies, the minister said this had made it easy to identify offenders.

”Some companies have fleets of 300 to 400 vehicles while some have 150 to 200; so we are able to catch up with them.

” What we do now in some areas that are notorious and very difficult to have enforcement officers all the times is to create some barriers,” the minister said.

Mr Bello, who said his administration had been urging the media to embark on naming and shaming offenders, however, said it had not been receiving the desired cooperation.

(NAN)