By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
The Senate yesterday killed a bill seeking to establish a National Road Transport Council, which was sponsored by the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Oyelola Ashiru (APC, Kwara South).
The legislation was intended to be saddled with the responsibility of regulating the road transport industry and the transport profession in Nigeria.
The bill which was titled National Road Transportation Council (Establishment) Bill, 2024, was earlier introduced to the Senate plenary, which was the first reading of the proposal on the floor of the Senate.
Senator Ashiru, earlier in his lead debate, revealed that if signed into law, a Council Board would be established which shall consist of a Board Chairman and six members drafted from each geo-political zone of the country.
He also stated that the board shall be presided by a representative from Ministries of Transport, Commerce and Industry and Aviation, and they shall not be below the rank of a Director.
According to the explanatory memorandum of the bill, the functions of the proposed Council include; creating an effective regulatory framework on road transport service operators; determining the standard of knowledge and skills required for road transport service operators; encouraging the advancement of education in road transportation.
”Ensuring accessibility of road transport facilities, channels, and routes; monitoring the performance of the regulated road transport industry; conducting background check on road transport service operators; registering all road transport service providers and determine the fees for such registration; setting guidelines and general policies for road transport service operators.
“Updating the Federal Government on its activities and progress through annual and audited reports; reviewing progress and suggest improvement within the provisions of this Bill and do such other things as are necessary or incidental to the objects of the Council under this Bill or as may be assigned by the Federal Government,” the senator debated.
However, contributing to the debate, Senators Victor Umeh, Adams Oshiomhole, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan among others, kicked against the bill, saying that it was tantamount to undue duplication of functions with some existing agencies of government, such as the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).
Consequently, when the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio put it to voice vote, majority of the Senators voted against it and it ended its journey at that point.
