Mr Ibrahim Abubakar, Delta Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has revealed that no fewer than 5,620 permanent driver’s licences have yet to be collected in the state.
He made this known while speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba on Monday.
Abubakar frowned at the attitude of some motorists who processed driver’s licences and never cared to collect them.
He urged drivers with temporary driver’s licence to go to the state Motor Licencing Office, where they had biometric capturing, and collect the permanent one.
“Most of the uncollected driver’s ones are either because the applicant might have left the country or he has left the state,” he said.
He also said that it might be that some drivers had yet to be properly educated on the need for driver’s licence.
“We have some that are even expired, that means that they have been in our custody for more than three years.
“We have been trying to get across to the applicants for collection, many of the numbers on the driver’s licence are no longer valid.
“Sometimes, we call their next of kin, even when we get them, they will promise to come and collect them but we will not see them,” he said.
Abubakar said that possession of a valid licence remained a major requirement for driving, adding that absence of it constituted a traffic infraction and endangered the lives of road users.
According to him, defaulters risk N10,000 fine or six months’ imprisonment or both.
He appealed to motorists and to collect the licence in time.