FRSC to impound all rickety vehicles plying roads nationwide

Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, Corp Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, on Wednesday in Lagos ordered the impounding of all rickety trucks plying the nation's roads. Oyeyemi gave the directive while addressing newsmen at one-day workshop on safety on the roads tagged "Safe-To-Load" for Depot and Tank Farms owners, to ensure that all trucks meet the minimum safety standards.

He said that full enforcement of speed limit and other safety standards would commence Oct. 1. "We are more committed to ensure that the minimum safety standard is not compromised "We have agreed that we will get to the root of the cause of the problem," Oyeyemi said. Mr Obafemi Olawore, Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, said that the association would co-operate with FRSC to ensure compliance to safety standards.
Olawore said that the major marketers had their own standards which they planned to improve by training and retraining of their drivers on safety standards. "The first call message we heard is safety, if it is not safe don't do it,'' he said. 

He expressed worry over the recent spate of accidents involving articulated vehicles and commended FRSC for its commitment to reduce the incident.
"We will all cooperate, by checking the tyres, mirror, oil and so many other things before loading," Olawore said. Dr mark Anamali, Secretary, Depot Owners Association Nigeria (SDOAN), said the association would synergise with FRSC to ensure safety and prevent carnage on the road. He added that the association would ensure that, before the end of this year, only road worthy trucks ply our roads.
"We will cooperate with the FRSC before the end of the year to phase out rickety vehicles. "We will also make sure that only road worthy vehicles will be allowed to work to avoid accidents.'' Chief Remi Ogungbemi, Chairman, National Association of Maritime Trucks, urged government to intervene to check multiple extortion by traffic control agents.

"Due to multiple extortion, money which we should use to maintain trucks and make them road worthy are collected by different traffic officers," Ogungbemi said. Mr Solomon Kilanko, National Vice-Chairman, Petroleum Tanker Drivers, also urged the Federal government and the Lagos state government to address truck hijacking at night in some parts of the state. This, he said, became necessary to enable full compliance to the state government's directives on the movement of articulated vehicles.