The relevant traffic regulation such as the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, Regulations 45(2), 52(1) and (2),50(1) and 45(3)(e) provide for an applicant for the driver’s license to meet the following conditions be 18 years and above, be physically and mentally fit, pass a driving test and pay the prescribed fee. However, the law has also made special provision for age limit of applicants for commercial or professional drivers licence(not below the age of 26-Regulation 45(4)). After these, such an applicant will then qualify for a driver’s license valid for three years.
However, in the face of the spate of road crashes in the country and the need conceptualized new ideas in keeping within global best practice, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) through the driving school standardization programme made it mandatory for fresh applicants to attend certified and approved driving school.
Specifically, the National Road Traffic Regulations 2004 mandates all learner drivers to observe the following rules: attend a certified and approved driving school as a prerequisite to obtaining a fresh drivers license. The rule has been amended specifically with respect to fresh applicants. The new rule requires applicants obtaining a Drivers License for the first time must do the following; attend a training at FRSC accredited Driving school for at least 26 working days, after which they will be presented by the Driving school to the Vehicle Inspection Officer/Road Traffic Officers for a driving test. Applicants must pass the driving test and obtain a certificate of proficiency for the new license from the VIO. After this, applicants will make payment online via the pay4me or make direct payment through the platforms at any bank.
The applicant will then submit completed forms to the State Board of Internal Revenue for endorsement, collect payment receipt for State Board of Internal Revenue where applicable and Proceed to the Drivers License Center for biometric data capture. After the biometric exercise, applicants will obtain temporary Drivers License and pick up the original License at the State Board of Internal Revenue office after 60 days.
Meanwhile while still learning, the learner driver must display an ‘L’-plate for learner, which is a square plate bearing a sans- serif letter ‘L’ for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in many countries, if the driver is a learner under instruction or a motorcycle rider with provisional entitlement to ride restricted motorcycles.
Section 27, subsections 1-3 of the National Road Traffic Regulations spells out the details as applicable to learner drivers. A learner driver when issued a learners permit, must be accompanied by a licensed driver-instructor sitting beside him to drive a vehicle or type stated in the permit from a period not exceeding three months from the date of issue on the highways specified in the permit. Besides, the permit in itself forbids the learner from carrying any person no matter the level of affiliation except the instructor. In addition, the learner-driver must at all times comply with relevant traffic rules and regulations.