Apapa traffic: In Lagos, FRSC deploys 212 personnel to check trucks’ roadworthiness

BEGINNING from September 1, 2015, any truck deficient of roadworthiness official requirements, would not be allowed to lift petroleum products from depot/tank farms nationwide especially in Apapa, Lagos.

This was disclosed by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Lagos last week.   To ensure strict compliance, the FRSC has deployed 212 of its personnel to Depot/Tank farms across the country, with a mandate not to compromise, irrespective of who the owner of the defaulting truck is.

The Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, while flagging-off a 2-day safe-to-load training for officers deployed to Depot/Tank farms, said the initiative was taken after deliberations with stakeholders on the movement of petroleum products in the country for the purpose of standard as well as ensuring that vehicles used to lift products from tank farms were road worthy.

Oyeyemi, who was represented by the Corps Commander, Administration and Strategy, Mr. Augustine Ipor, said: “Our personnel are expected to check trucks tyres, vehicle parts and safety of the petroleum product the trucks are to carry.

Truck drivers are expected to have driver’s license while their vehicles are expected to have all the necessary documents. Even the people at the tank farms have their own standards, such as tagging system that are expected to be on the trucks. All these must be in place before they (trucks) are allowed to lift petroleum products.

The age of the driver is expected to be 26 and above. Under-aged will not be allowed to load. Once any truck does not meet any of these standards, it will not be allowed to go in to load.

Checks will begin from the entrance of the tank farms.   “We are deploying 212 officers from September 1, with four officers to one tank farm, and we will continue to review it with the tank farms owners to know if it is going to be permanent exercise or not.”

He said the FRSC had commenced the training of truck drivers, and that during the training, some of the drivers were discovered not to have driver’s license.

He disclosed that those affected would be assisted to acquire the document.    Also speaking at the occasion, the executive secretary, Depot and Petroleum Product Marketers Association, Mr. Olefemi Adewale, who described the initiative as a right step in the right direction, pledged the support of the association’s safety departments in all its terminals to ensure that no truck was allowed to come into its premises to load if it did not meet the minimum standard.

The Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone RS2, Assistant Corps Marshal Nseobong Akpabio, warned the personnel not to compromise, reminding them of the consequences of their action if a vehicle that was certified road worthy later develops problem relating to the specifications.