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The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Surulere unit in Lagos, on?Wednesday distributed 500 “Red Cards” to motorists in the Ijora area of Lagos State for use in cautioning bad drivers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Red Cards are an innovation by the FRSC for cautioning drivers going contrary to traffic rules.
It is also similar to the cards –yellow for warning and red for expulsion– used by refrees in football matches all over the world.
Mr Jonas Agwu, Lagos Sector Commander of the FRSC, said at the?commencement of the programme?that the aim was to mould the driving habits of motorists and reduce carnage on the roads.
Agwu, who was represented by the FRSC Assistant Corps Commander in the state, Mr Jide Giwa, said that the card was not a means to witch-hunt any road user.
He said that it was meant to serve as a warning and to correct those driving badly on the highways.
“We have designed Red Cards to be distributed to the motorists as a strategy to reduce road carnage on our highways.
“The Red Cards are not to serve as punishment for any road offender but to assist in correcting the wrong habits of bad driving by the motorists.
?“Instead of the usual insult road users receive from their colleagues, this card will serve as a correction to the offender, just as referees issue cards to players who commit fouls on the pitch,” he said.
The sector commander said that when a motorist receives cards repeatedly from his colleagues, his conscience would prick and warn him that what he was doing was wrong.
He listed making calls while driving, traffic light violations and driving without the use of seatbelt as some of the offences for which the Red Cards could be issued.
The Commander of the Surulere unit of the FRSC, Mr Gregory Drambi,? said that the programme was aimed at enlightening motorists on the usefulness of the card.
Drambi, who was represented by the Head of Administration of the unit,? Mrs Gloria Danfunlani, said that the card would be distributed to motorists so that they could use it to communicate among themselves.
“This Red Card is just like a road sign which directs the road users and it will also serve as a sign to mould the activities of drivers.
“It will not be issued by the FRSC alone, it will be distributed to all road users to enable them to use it to control themselves,’’ he said.
The Chairman, Taxi Drivers Association, Ijora branch, Mr Ibrahim Atanda, in his remarks,? the programme, saying it would help drivers.
?Atanda said that the initiative would help to bring sanity to the driving profession and also help drivers to correct themselves.
He urged drivers to use the cards properly. (NAN)