The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, has called for the support of transport stakeholders in developing strategies to reduce road accident fatalities across the country.
Present at the meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the FRSC in Abuja, were representatives of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), the Association of Luxury Bus Owners (ALBO), the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), among others.
Speaking at the meeting, the FRSC Corps Marshal decried the recent spate of road accident fatalities, which he said had resulted in the tragic loss of at least 91 lives.
Mohammed expressed concern that despite the government’s efforts to provide and maintain transport facilities according to global standards, many drivers continue to undermine these efforts with reckless behaviour on the roads.
He said: “While the government continues to do its best to provide and maintain transport facilities in accordance with global best practices, some road users, especially drivers, have continued to make a mockery of this concerted effort by exhibiting a high level of recklessness on the roads.
“In the last month or thereabout, the Corps witnessed three landmark crashes that were caused by negligence, fatigue, speeding, night trips, and dangerous driving.
“These crashes include that of Niger State, which occurred on September 8 and killed 48 people, that of September 12, which killed 18 people in Sabon Wuse, and that of September 15, which happened in Kaduna State, leading to the death of 25 people. These three crashes alone, which proved to have been obviously avoidable, claimed the lives of 91 people. This is alarming and it calls for concern.
“I am compelled to state that the spate of crashes recently recorded is, however, very disturbing, and every step must be taken to avert continued future occurrences. It is against this backdrop that I have directed Commanding Officers to ensure round-the-clock enforcement of traffic offences to mitigate these excesses. A special patrol operation will be instituted and enforcement will be carried out nationwide.”
The President of IPMAN, Abubakar Shettima, dismissed the allegations linking the group to fatal road crashes across the country.
Shettima said: “We transport highly inflammable products through our trucks, and all the allegations being made are unfounded. We collaborate with NARTO and PTD. NARTO represents the truck owners, while the tanker drivers are our drivers. We always come together to make important decisions regarding safety, as it is our top priority, and we take it very seriously.
“Mohammed has been doing his best to reduce road accidents involving trucks. We’ve taken precautions, such as prohibiting our members from driving at night and advising them to rest if they feel sleepy. NARTO has also begun building rest parks for drivers to use when they need to take a break.”
