Any driving school operator caught violating the Federal Road Safety Commission’s guidelines risked six months’ imprisonment.

According to the commission, it has the mandate to regulate, register, inspect and accredit driving schools to ensure operators complied with the standards specified in the guidelines.

Its Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi said this in Ibadan during a one-day workshop organised for driving school operators in the South-West states, themed; “Promoting Road Safety Through Quality Driver Education in Nigeria’’.

Oyeyemi said applicants for fresh driver’s licence must provide evidence of training at an approved driving school, a learner’s permit accompanied with a certificate of vision acuity test and general medical fitness.

According to him, Section 34 (3) and (4) provides for six months imprisonment for any driving school operator who violets these relevant provisions, saying “FRSC has declared war against driving school certificate racketeering and would not spare anyone caught in the act.

Oyeyemi who spoke through Deputy Corps Marshal Training, Kabir Lawal, said they needed the assistance and cooperation of all to succeed in the campaign by putting a firm check on the scourge threatening the security of lives on the roads.

In his contribution, Osogbo Zonal Commanding Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Olumide Olagunju, said the workshop would provide a useful forum for updating the knowledge of the participants.

National President, Association of Driving School Operators, Jide Owotumise commended the organiser of the workshop, saying it was something they had been clamouring for.

Oyo State Sector Commander, Cecilia Alao, commended Oyeyemi, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and other stakeholders that contributed to the success of the workshop.

Declaring the workshop open, Ajimobi of Oyo said the safety and well-being of the citizenry was the priority of his administration.

Ajimobi, said road traffic crashes posed a challenge to the lives of the people, hence the need to educate driving school operators could not be over-emphasised.

The governor who spoke through Commissioner for Works and Transport, Wasiu Dauda, said the bad attitude of motorists and drivers in over-loading, drinking, speeding among others, must be addressed, saying thers could be achieved with the training.

The FRSC sector commanders in Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti attended the workshop.

Also present were representatives of the governors of Lagos and Ogun states as well as the Nigeria Police, Immigration, Civil Defence, Prisons, Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army among others.