FRSC reads riot act to tanker drivers, set to impound trailers

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) will impound trailers seen carrying fuel at night in order to reduce road crashes across the country.The agency also said the enforcement of compulsory installation of speed limiter and safety valve on all petroleum products trucks would take effect from of February 1 2017.

This was disclosed in Lagos, at the branch executive council meeting of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), FRSC Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, said the enforcement of the impounding of trailers carrying fuel at night on Nigeria roads would commence immediately.

“Any tanker seen at night would be impounded by my men, this however would be without any penalty, but the driver would be made to sleep and would only be released at 6 a.m, to continue his journey,” he said.

Lamenting the alarming rate of casualties due to incessant trailer accidents, Oyeyemi, said most of the trailers on the road are over 30 years hence the need for more reason why the drivers to reduce their speed on the road.

He noted that in the last 12 months, 283 crashes were recorded, majority of which could have been avoided if the drivers adhered to instructions.He said: “We need to work on this, we need to stem the tide. Some tankers don’t have fire extinguishers. Government is worried and still worried till date, drivers drive on the fast lane, speeding in spite of the load. They are supposed to go at 40 kilometres per hour. We are appealing to you all that we should record zero crash at this period.”

In a Communique from the meeting signed by the National Chairman, Salimon Oladiti, and National Secretary, Sunday Ochievjibve, the PTD members blamed the increasing rate of petroleum tanker accidents on several factors. They include the poor state of road infrastructure in the country, high cost of running transportation business, flooding of Nigerian spare parts markets with fake/substandard spare parts, and the attitude of the petroleum tanker drivers and other stakeholders on the roads.

To stem the tide, the group called for immediate convening of a stakeholders meeting with the theme: “Safety on the road,” involving all major stakeholders who are involved in the petroleum products supply and distribution chain.