Fashola Launches New Vehicle Checking Device

Govenor Babatunde Fashola today launched an electronic device to check whether vehicles have valid documents without engaging in manual stop and check of vehicles’ papers.

The device, Auto Inspector, is the first of its kind in Nigeria and will help to reduce traffic gridlock on Lagos’ highways occasioned by police stop and check of vehicles’ documents.

With the device, stolen vehicles can also be easily identified as the device could tell the name of the owners of such vehicles as well as the history of such vehicles.

Launching the device today at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, South West Nigeria, Fashola said Lagos had joined the league of selected cities in the developing world where traffic management and compliance with vehicle documentation regulations had been revolutionised with the introduction of high-tech device.

“Traffic congestion experience on Lagos roads is some of the time compounded when traffic control and law enforcement officers stop motorists to check their vehicle particulars and determine their documentation status which hitherto was done manually.

“This is avoidable stress and the same purpose of checking particulars and documentation of vehicles can be achieved through automation utilising technology without disturbing the flow of traffic,” he said.

According to him, the auto inspector service would enable traffic control and law enforcement officers to simply punch the registration number of a vehicle into a hand-held electronic device and instantly determine the vehicle and vehicle owner’s documentation status.

“The hand-held auto inspector device will be issued to and used by officers and men of the Nigeria police, LASTMA, VIOs and ultimately, the FRSC. Vehicles that will be screened by auto inspector are those registered in Lagos State which have their updated documentation data including vehicle license, driver’s license, hackney permit and road worthiness/MOT captured on the AUTOREG platform which is operated by the Motor Vehicle Administration’s technical partner, Courteville Investment Plc,” he said. Fashola added that the device would enhance compliance since motorists in contravention were easily identified as the device verifies the validity or otherwise of the vehicle documents instantly. He stated that the device would lead to relative reduction in man-hours wasted in traffic during checks by law officers as well as help to eliminate corrupt practices by law enforcement agents as the status of any vehicle screened was simultaneously captured both by the hand-held device and operators manning the servers at the Automated Registration, AUTOREG control rooms.

“It is also a huge boost to our crime prevention and control efforts due to instant data-capturing capabilities. It will also boost e-governance,” he said while advising motorists to update their vehicle documentations.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga