The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has stepped up enforcement and public awareness campaigns nationwide to tackle the dangerous practice of commercial drivers stopping abruptly on highways and roadsides to pick up passengers.
According to FRSC, this widespread habit jeopardizes road safety by forcing sudden stops in moving traffic lanes, putting pedestrians at serious risk, and creating bottlenecks that often lead to avoidable accidents.
The intensified operations and sensitization drives are part of a broader strategy to reduce road crashes caused by driver indiscipline, with deployments targeting major highways, urban centres, and rural routes across the country.
The Corps’ Public Education Officer, Olusegun Ogungbemide, told the News Agency of Nigeria in an interview on Monday in Abuja that arbitrary stopping by commercial drivers, especially during weekends, is a routine traffic offence.
“The offence occurs daily, and offenders are regularly apprehended through ongoing patrol operations nationwide,” Ogungbemide said.
He added that FRSC records show consistent daily apprehensions of traffic violators, reflecting sustained monitoring and enforcement efforts across the country.
Ogungbemide emphasised that blocking highways or urban roads is prohibited under traffic regulations and will continue to attract enforcement measures. He reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to improving road safety through continuous patrols, strict enforcement, and public education, aiming to protect pedestrians and ensure orderly traffic movement.
This decisive push responds to the growing menace of indiscriminate stopping, which officials say endangers pedestrians, disrupts traffic flow, and contributes significantly to preventable fatalities and injuries on Nigerian roads.
The FRSC stressed that ongoing enforcement combined with driver and passenger education is critical to achieving safer roads and reducing the human and economic costs associated with such reckless behaviour.
