The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has finally come out with a position on the use of Google Maps app by drivers on Nigerian roads.
The official position by the FRSC Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, was provided at a press conference in Abuja, the country’s capital yesterday.
According to Mr Oyeyemi, “The use of google map while driving is allowed, but hand-held driving and usage are offences associated with driving and anyone caught would face the law squarely.
“If you must use Google map while driving, you must get the car-holding phone devices which is both for your safety and for better usage of the device and the application.”
This puts to rest the conflict that arose from a statement made by the FCT Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Ayuba Gora in November 2019, saying that “driving with the aid of Google map using mobile phones is a serious traffic offence. “
As expected many Nigerians took to social media to vent their displeasure at Mr Gora’s statement.
Thereafter, FRSC went on Twitter to state that the commander was misquoted:
The spokesman said that “The Federal Road Safety Corps as a technology driven organisation is not and has never stood against the use of google map [sic] by motorists. To state the obvious, we have always enlightened the public on the position of the law on use of phone while driving, which the Sector Commander tried to emphasise during the flag off.”
