The Senate has passed the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, significantly increasing penalties for traffic offences, including a N50,000 fine for anyone caught hawking, trading or preaching in commercial buses. The bill, titled Federal Road Safety Corps Act (Amendment), 2026 (HBs. 1401 & 1604 — For Concurrence), was first read in the Senate on July 1, 2026, and now awaits presidential assent.

The bill also prescribes a N50,000 fine or six months' imprisonment, or both, for motorists who fail to cooperate with FRSC officials during roadside breath tests conducted on reasonable suspicion. Lawmakers said the hawking and preaching provision was introduced to reduce distractions in public vehicles and improve commuter safety.

Other key changes:

• Drunk/drug-impaired driving: penalty raised from N5,000 to N100,000, with up to two years' imprisonment or both.
• Reckless driving: now N100,000, alongside a possible two-year jail term.
• Speed limit violations: raised from N5,000 to N100,000.
• Failure to obey traffic lights, signs, or road markings: now N100,000.

One lawmaker, defending the changes during plenary, said: "Our roads have become marketplaces and crusade grounds... The penalties must hurt enough to change behaviour."

The Senate said the amendments aim to strengthen FRSC's enforcement capacity and curb road crashes linked to reckless driving and in-vehicle distractions. The changes are expected to be felt most in high-traffic commercial hubs like Lagos and Abuja, where hawking and preaching in buses is common.