According to the Senate, the cost of
standard motor vehicle plate numbers was reduced from N15,000 to N8,400
and driver’s licence from N6,000 to N4,000.
Those of
articulated vehicles will now cost N11,200 instead of the N20,000 as
stipulated by the FRSC while privileged numbers and fancy or
personalised numbers were left as recommended by the FRSC.
However, dealer number plates which cost N30,000 before now was slashed to N16,800.
Consequently, it lifted the suspension on the issuance of the number
plates and new driver’s licences, just as it barred the police from
conducting another vehicle registration.
The Senate, which
adopted all the recommendations of its Committee on Federal Character
and Inter-Governmental Affairs, approved the recommendation that the
deadline for compliance with the new scheme be extended from August 2012
to February 2013.
The chairman of the committee, Dahiru Awaisu
Kuta, while presenting the report said, "the current suspension on the
issuance of the new driver’s licence and vehicle number plates now in
its fourth month, resulting in a huge backlog of demands for these items
by the motorists will be lifted immediately, taking into account the 30
per cent reduction."
It, therefore, directed the police to
"suspend the introduction of Bio-metric Central Motor Registry and the
N3, 500 that goes with it as this is an additional burden on vehicle
owners which is capable of translating into hike in transport fares for
commuters. It is also an unnecessary duplication of the ongoing scheme
by the FRSC.
