Preaching, hawking ban in commercial buses existed since 2007 – Senate

The Senate has clarified that the prohibition of preaching and hawking inside commercial vehicles is not a new provision introduced by the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission Establishment Act, insisting that the offences have existed in Nigerian law since 2007.

The clarification followed widespread public criticism after PUNCH Online reported on July 17 that the Senate passed the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which proposes a N50,000 fine for anyone convicted of hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles.

In a statement issued on Monday by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs in the Office of the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate said the controversial provision had long been contained in the existing FRSC Act and National Road Traffic Regulations.

“The Senate has duly noticed public concerns on the purported proscription of preaching and hawking in a commercial vehicle under the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, No. 22, 2007,” the statement read.

It explained that the offences are backed by Section 10(4) of the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007, and Regulation 220 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012.

“Preaching and hawking in a commercial vehicle are offences. The offences have been part of the Act before the current amendment,” the Senate stated.

According to the statement, the provision previously appeared as Item 36 in the Second Schedule of the Act and has only been renumbered as Item 49 in the amended version under consideration.

“Entrenched as Item 36 in the Second Schedule of the Act, preaching and hawking in a commercial vehicle are not new provisions in our legal system. The provisions have been part of the Act as far back as 2007. However, it is now listed as Item 49, Second Schedule of the Act,” it added.

The Senate stressed that the legislation does not prohibit public or street preaching, contrary to claims circulating on social media.

“The Bill, therefore, does not outlaw preaching on the streets as some interests have claimed in different fora. It is about the safety of commuters and other road users and not intended to undermine any religious activity in the public space,” the statement said.

It also distanced Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele from the bill, saying he neither initiated nor sponsored the legislation.

“The Bill is not an initiative of Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele. Rather, it is a concurrence bill first amended by the House of Representatives. As required by the 1999 Constitution, the Bill requires the concurrence of the Senate before it can become effective,” the statement noted.

The Senate added that the amendment process had yet to be concluded and encouraged interested stakeholders to engage with the legislative process before its completion.

“The amendment process is still ongoing. In the spirit of democracy, stakeholders can channel their concerns to the appropriate institutions before the completion of the process,” it said.

The proposed amendment also seeks stiffer penalties for other traffic offences, including increasing the fine for driving under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating substances from N5,000 to N100,000, while reckless driving and speed limit violations would also attract fines of up to N100,000, with some offences carrying prison terms.(Punch)