FRSC sustains 24-hour licence production to clear backlogs

 

By Ibironke Ariyo

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it has sustained a 24-hour printing operation at its Lagos Mini Print Farm to fast-track the production of driver’s licences and clear all backlogs across the south west.

The FRSC Corps Marshal, Malam Shehu Mohammed disclosed this in Lagos during a monitoring tour of the facility at the Lagos Mini Print Farm.

Mohammed was represented by the Deputy Corps Commander (DCC), Olawale Kareem, who oversees the Lagos Mini Print Farm.

He said that the Corps had produced close to 100,000 driver’s licences within weeks of full-scale operation in Lagos.

He added that the enhanced production rate was the result of new heavy-duty printing machines that could process a licence card in less than 20 seconds.

“We started full production on October 8, and between that time and October 20, we have produced over 65,000 licences for Lagos State and more than 20,000 for other states in South West.

“Altogether, production stands between 90,000 and 100,000, and work is still ongoing.

“With the heavy machine we are using, from the input of the machine to the output, it takes less than 20 seconds for one card to be out. This means we can produce over 1,800 in one hour,” he said.

The FRSC Corps Marshal said that the staff was working long hours, as operations now run round-the-clock to ensure all backlogs were cleared in the second week of November.

“We have extended our work period. Normally, we work from 8am. to 4pm, but now we run 24-hour shifts to meet production targets,” he said.

The FRSC boss explained that while the Lagos Mini Print Farm focused on production, the distribution and collection of printed licences were handled by state agencies.

“From this end, our major assignment is production. Once we produce, the state agencies come to pick up the licences and ensure applicants get their cards on time.

“After production, we index, that means we tag each card with a unique code and send it to the state agencies.

“They then inform applicants using those codes, and once the codes are presented, the licences are issued without delay,” he said.

The Corps Marshal added that the centre had maintained stable network operations due to its dual connectivity system.

“For production, we’ve not experienced any network problems because we have two service providers which are the fiber and radio link.

“If one is down, the other picks up immediately, so we’ve been enjoying stable operations,” he said.

Some applicants who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Lagos Drivers Licence Centre commended the improved process and organisation.

Mrs Mopelola Onafeko, who visited the centre for capturing, described the process as smooth and well-organised.

“The process is quite organised. Although this is not my first time, everything is moving fine now. I’ve been here for just about 20 or 30 minutes and I am about to capture, ” she said.

Another applicant, Mr Kelvin Peters, who came for renewal of his driver’s licence, said the exercise had been seamless compared to previous experiences.

“This is my fifth time renewing my driver’s licence and it has always been successful. Sometimes there are minor issues like light or network failure, but today everything has gone smoothly.

“I came this morning and the process was organised. We even had a short lecture about road signs and driving patterns before starting,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the FRSC had recently intensified efforts to clear the backlog of unprinted and uncollected driver’s licences across the country.

This is in line with the Corps Marshal’s directive to improve service delivery through digital innovation and efficiency.