The Federal Road Safety Corps on Monday said the new Lagos State Road Traffic Law was a right step that would enhance traffic management and also return sanity to roads in the state.

Sector Commander, Lagos Command of the FRSC, Charles Akpabio, stated this during a courtesy visit to the state Governor, Babatunde Fashola, at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja.

Akpabio, who was recently posted to the state to head the Command, said the FRSC would support the law, adding that officers and men of the state command would not compromise on its implementation.

He said, “We have even gone a step ahead to educate motorists on the law. We believe that it will thrive more when they comply than when law enforcement officials apprehend them.

“The law is certainly not to punish, but to bring back sanity to the road, Lagos is very important to Nigeria. The new law has come at the right time and we are prepared to partner with the state.”

Akpabio said his command had decided that only certified drivers would be issued Driving Licence.

He said, “A lot of people are coming into Lagos to process their Drivers License. We will make sure that they go through the VIO first to let us know if they can drive well. As for people who sit down at home to get licence, that era is gone.”

Fashola, who commended the move to streamline the issuance of licences, said it would help reduce accidents and save lives.

The governor pointed out that the Road Traffic Law was for the safety and benefit of Lagosians rather than to punish them.

He explained that the three-year jail term recommended by the law to traffic offenders was not compulsory, but at the discretion of the judges in trials involving serial traffic offenders.

He said, “Unlike the old law where you only pay fine, this time around, you will not only pay a fine, you will either do community service, where you go and manage traffic or a compulsory training at the Drivers’ Institute.

“Sentencing anybody to jail will be the very extreme and it would have to be the discretion of the judge or magistrate where he sees that the person is either a habitual offender or somebody who has done something grievous.”