Commissioner for Transportation in Cross River, Mr Ekpenyong Cobham, has lamented that only about 10 per cent of drivers in the state passed through driving schools.
Cobham spoke during a sectoral workshop organised by the state command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Calabar on Monday.
The workshop, themed “Driving RS6.2 Excellence Through Productivity Enhancement,” focused on improving operational efficiency among traffic officers.
Cobham said traffic regulation remained difficult because even drivers who attended schools often failed to practise what they learnt.
According to him, another category of drivers in the state are “transitory drivers” who never went to a driving school but moved from operating motorcycles to tricycles and eventually commercial vehicles.
“There is no absence of requisite regulations on our roads but drivers with bad attitudes. In my two years as commissioner, I discovered that the fundamental problem in the transportation sector of this state is purely attitudinal. So, I am not happy that I am not seeing representatives of all the transport unions here,” he said.
He urged FRSC officials to remain professional and not accept gratification, stressing the need to “objectively and professionally whip recalcitrant road users back into line.”
Corps Commander, Innocent Etuk, said the workshop was aimed at training and retraining FRSC officials to enhance their mode of operations and reduce crashes.
“This training aims to make the officials of the corps to be up to date in line with global best practices and improve their productivity in traffic management,” he explained.
Etuk added that the corps had introduced a reward system for personnel who improve their operational capacities in traffic and safety management.
Commissioner of Police in Cross River, Rashid Afegbua, represented by CSP Uduak Boniface, commended the FRSC for the initiative but called for stricter driving tests and due process before the issuance of licences.
Similarly, Mr Charles Brown, Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), praised the corps for its synergy with other agencies and for automating the drivers’ licensing process.
During the technical session, participants were lectured on Effective Report Renditions as a Measure for Operational Efficiency and Road Safety Work Ethics and Productivity.
Other agencies present included Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), the Cross River Transport Management and Regulatory Agency (TRAMRA), and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
(NAN)