Stakeholders in the transport sector have advocated comprehensive sensitization activities to create awareness and ensure effective compliance with the Third Party Insurance Policy in the country.
They said the measure would promote acceptability, check fraudulent practices, and encourage compliance with vehicle insurance regulations.
The stakeholders, including motorists, transport workers, and experts, spoke in Bauchi, Dutse, and Gombe while reacting to the Third Party Insurance enforcement exercise embarked on by the Nigeria Police Force.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, directed the police to enforce the Mandatory Third Party Insurance, which began on Feb. 1.
Egbetokun said the directive aims to reinforce road safety measures and ensure that all vehicle owners comply with the stipulated insurance requirements to protect themselves and others on the road.
He said failure to possess valid third-party insurance will result in strict enforcement actions, including fines or penalties or both, as mandated by relevant extant laws.
In Gombe State, the police engaged road transport unions and insurance companies to create awareness of the policy so as to facilitate the smooth running of the enforcement exercise.
The spokesman of the command, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, said that personnel of the command had been deployed to ensure effective compliance with the directives across the state.
He said the command directed the personnel to display a high level of professionalism during the enforcement exercise.
Abdullahi described the level of compliance by motorists as “encouraging,” adding that the command engaged stakeholders to create better understanding of the policy.
In Bauchi State, the police had partnered with Divisional Traffic Officers, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and the State Internal Revenue Service (SIRS) to facilitate the smooth conduct of the exercise.
CSP Ahmed Wakil, the Police Public Relations Officer, said the command deployed a dedicated team comprising traffic officers and representatives of the relevant agencies for the enforcement exercise.
He said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Auwal Mohammed, directed the officers to maintain professionalism and integrity during the exercise.
Also, SP Lawan Shiisu, the spokesman of the police in Jigawa, urged motorists to insure their vehicles to ensure compensation for accident victims and enhance safety on the road.
However, the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) have called for comprehensive sensitization activities to create awareness on the insurance policy.
Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, Chairman of RTEAN in Bauchi State, decried the lack of engagement with transport unions to educate their members on the benefits of the insurance policy.
He said that such an awareness campaign was necessary to ensure effective compliance.
On his part, Ismail Babawo, Chairman of the NURTW in Bauchi State, observed that exorbitant fees and cumbersome registration processes had made the insurance policy unpopular among vehicle owners.
Babawo said that many vehicle owners could not afford the fees in view of the harsh economic realities in the country.
He, therefore, urged the government to adopt user-friendly insurance policies to check fraudulent practices and mobilize participation to encourage compliance. (NAN)
