By Praise Chinecherem
A middle-aged driver has been sentenced to six months imprisonment by a mobile court in Awka, Anambra State for alleged overload.
The court presided over by a Chief Magistrate, however gave the suspect an option of fine.
The vehicle was contravened on Tuesday near the Awmabia flyover, along the Awka-Onitsha expressway by men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Speaking with reporters in his office on Thursday, Sector Commander, Adeoye Irelewuyi said the driver was immediately arraigned before the court upon apprehension.
“The overloaded vehicle was impounded at our head office here in Awka and incidentally, the mobile court was sitting same day.
“So, he was arraigned immediately in court and the Chief Magistrate presiding over the court handed him a six-month jail term with an option of fine,” he revealed.
While maintaining that overloading remained a very dangerous road practice that had lead to severe fatality on the roads, the FRSC boss advised motorists to desist from such anomaly.
“Overloading is a practice that can increase the probability of fatality in a crash because when an overloaded vehicle crashes, the driver and the passengers may not have the chance of escaping from the crash, as the goods may fall on them and even cause more death than the crash itself.
”So, we appeal to road users to desist from overloading their vehicles either with goods or passengers,” he said.
Irelewuyi reiterated the command’s preparedness to continue its operations, including arrest of road users and drivers who violated road rules in this regard.
He also assured that mobile court operations will be intensified to ensure prompt prosecution of offenders, to serve as deterrent to others.
“All these we are doing to drive down to the barest minimum, the rate of road traffice crashes in the state.
“All we are soliciting for is the support and cooperation of the general public to make our roads safer and more peaceful,” he stressed.
