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From: Tony Osauzo, Benin
Motorists who violate traffic rules and regulations in Edo State would be made to undergo psychiatric test to ascertain their mental state of mind.
The state’s Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Samuel Odukoya, who disclosed this, on Tuesday, in his office during an interview, said the test would commence on July 1 this year.
He said the flagrant disobedience of traffic rules and regulations in the state by motorists necessitated the psychiatrist test.
“By July 1, offences like answering phones while driving, overloading, route violation taken (one way), beating of traffic among others, would henceforth attract psychiatric test before the payment of stipulated fine.
“When we arrest any driver who violates traffic rules, before he is booked for the offence, he would first go for psychiatric test to ascertain his mental state of mind.
“Once a driver is caught, his vehicle would be seized until the doctor confirms his mental state and the driver would pay all the expenses at the hospital as well as the fine for such offence.
“We believe that by the time about 40 people that committed the offence are sent for Psychiatric test, pay for the test and N50,000 fine for the violation, it would serve as deterrent to other people to comply with traffic rules”, Odukoya said.
He disclosed that Governor Godwin Obaseki has promised to provide doctors for the exercise as well as Mobile Court to try offenders after paying for the psychiatric test.
The FRSC Sector Commander while stressing that, “Obaseki is committed to stopping the menace in the state,” maintained that the Commission would collaborate with the traffic management that would be set up by Edo State government for effective implementation of the exercise and addressing the menace.
He, however, warned that FRSC has zero tolerance for traffic violations and that whoever was caught would be made to face the law.
