UNCLAIMED DRIVERS’ LICENCES STANDS AT 46,404

The Lagos State Government Wednesday disclosed that about 46,404 drivers’ licences was left unclaimed in the state, thereby calling on applicants who had been captured to come for the collection of their licences.

The State Government also warned against the use of touts in the processing of driver’s licence, noting that it had introduced the cashless operational policy to fast-track the process and eliminate forms of malpractices in the process.

This was revealed in a statement by the Corporate Affairs Head of the state’s Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA), Mrs. Ibironke Famakinwa, reiterating the agency’s commitment to eradicate touting and other forms of malpractices in the issuance of the Unified Driver’s Licence.

Of the 116,689 driver’s licenses issued between January and July, the statement said about 70,285 “have been collected while 46,404 are yet to be claimed,” noting that the process of collection “has been made easy.”

The statement said the process of obtaining these documents “has now been made easy and less stressful. Presently, the agency is saddled with huge number of unclaimed permanent drivers’ licences which now runs to about 50,000.

“Applicants are therefore requested to collect them from the stations where they were processed without further delay. The MVAA management is committed to continue providing quality service to the general public.”

The statement also condemned all forms of malpractices in the issuance of the Unified Driver’s Licence in the processing points, though said it had introduced cashless operational policy in all the processing points across the state.

The statement urged that all applicants for driver’s licences “to make all their payments through any of its participating banks including First Bank Plc, UBA Plc, Ecobank and Sterling bank among others.

“The agency warns its staff that under no circumstance should they charge or collect any payment from any applicant in the course of processing their driver’s license as such act is against accountability, transparency and probity drive of the current administration.

“Motorists were equally advised to obtain genuine drivers licences and other vehicular documents from the various MVAA stations across the state. Applicants were urged to desist from engaging touts to avoid procurement of fake documents,” the statement.