Truck drivers: The grim reapers on Nigerian roads

ON a daily basis, lives are being brutally and wantonly cut short by tanker and trailer drivers who seem to be having a field day wreaking havoc to lives and properties.

The recurring carnage on our roads occasioned by the vicious activities of this collective and the seeming helpless posture portrayed by concerned authorities is hitting an insane level.

More than ever, we are witnessing an upsurge in road accidents caused by these ‘merchants of death’ on our roads who have apparently become more powerful than the state.

Nigeria is ranked second-highest in the rate of road accidents among 193 countries of the world. Aside from the Boko Haram crisis, accidents are currently by far the main cause of violent death in Nigeria. The World Health Organisation (WHO) adjudged Nigeria the most dangerous country in Africa with 33.7 deaths per 100,000 populations every year. According to the report, one in every four road accident deaths in Africa occurs in Nigeria. This statistics is a damning commentary on the premium we place on human lives.

The reprehensible activities of these grim reapers continually bring sorrow and tears to many families as road-users are crushed while properties are destroyed. The Hobbesian state of nature where life was short, nasty and brutish is daily re-enacted on our roads and it’s slowly gaining currency due to government’s lackadaisical approach to curbing this trend.

Embarking on a trip to Apapa in Lagos via the Oshodi-Apapa expressway or the Ijora-Costain axis is a nightmarish experience that no time-conscious person would want to dare. Petroleum tankers and haulage trailers are the ‘Lords of the Manor’ in these parts of Lagos. Most lanes of these roads are permanently occupied by stationary trucks waiting to load petroleum products from the tank farms or returning freight containers to the port terminals.

These indiscriminate parking have caused unquantifiable loss of man hours to the economy and needless bloodletting on our roads. The social vices associated with the activities of these drivers are legion. It is the norm for these drivers to park their trucks for days on the flyover bridges that were designed to bear fleeting weight and not motionless heavy-duty vehicles. Continuous occupation of these bridges by heavy-tonnage trucks should be of deep concern and tackled.

The serviceable state of these trucks also raises lot of concerns as most of them are rickety, wobbly, and in a perpetual state of disrepair. It is safe to assume that about 60 per cent of them, especially the flat-bed trucks used in conveying freight containers would not pass any criterion of road-worthiness. A good number of the trucks were procured in the late 70s and 80s and have no business being on the roads any longer as they have suffered gross depreciation, outlived their value and are meant for the scrap yard.

At best, they are accidents looking for where to occur. They operate without any form of regulations, supervision and sanctions.  Observations revealed that quite a number of the trucks do not have functional lamps, brake system and even registration number plates. It is a common sight to see the drivers’ assistants armed with wooden wedges that are used to jolt them to a halt, especially when caught up in traffic snarl on steep terrains due to their mechanical deficiencies.

All known traffic and safety regulations are observed in breach than in compliance by these drivers. The height of this seeming lunacy and recklessness is exemplified by the manner they convey unlatched freight containers with reckless abandon. The containers, usually tilted to one side owing to their unserviceable state, are in most cases, unlatched. They are increasingly falling on other hapless road users. The recent fatal carnage in Ojuelegba, Lagos and many other similar cases around the country, call for an urgent review of the activities of truck drivers and their regulators.

Truck drivers flaunt larger-than-life aura on the road. They bully smaller vehicles for right of way. It is common knowledge that they are usually inebriated even while on the wheels. The state of mental well-being of some of them is also questionable as they do not undergo psychiatric evaluation to ascertain their state of mental health and alertness given the enormity of the risks associated with their job. Their stock-in-trade includes excessive speeding, drug and substance abuse, poor knowledge of road signs and regulations, over-loading and dangerous driving. Their visual acuity is also questionable. No sane society will tolerate this state of anomie on their roads.

This has brought to the fore the ineptitude of statutory bodies charged with the responsibility of ensuring safety and orderliness on our roads. The Federal Road Safety Commission has commenced a clampdown on erring drivers who convey unlatched containers on their trucks. This is commendable but certainly not enough considering the frequency of their accidents. The FRSC has a lot cut out for it and must wake up from its slumber. They should impound all mechanically deficient vehicles as against the current practice of giving a slap on the wrist of offenders who part ways with N5000.00 as the stipulated penalty for this category of offence.

The FRSC should synergise with the relevant agencies in charge of the road-worthiness of vehicles and weed out all decrepit and rickety trucks plying our roads. They should not limit their checks and controls to the use of seat belts and availability of fire extinguishers in vehicles. These are by now largely given.

At the states level, the Vehicle Inspection Unit is another ineffective agency that has failed woefully in the discharge of its core duties. They turn a blind eye to rickety trucks that break down indiscriminately on our roads. Rather, they revel in impounding apparently well-maintained private and official cars while the decrepit trucks, sub-urban commercial vehicles and tankers continue their killing spree.

The M.O.T test which was designed to carry out necessary checks and tests on vehicles has also not lived up to its billing. The scheme has been fraught with irregularities as many of the road-worthiness certificates bandied by motorists have been found to be forged. The situation is very appalling and horrendous. In Lagos, operatives of The State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) have, apart from ensuring the free flow of traffic, been more involved in corrupt practices and extortion of money from motorists. The agency is ridden with corrupt officers who see the flouting of traffic laws by motorists as an opportunity to make money.

LASTMA’s reputation is portrayed in a very bad light, no thanks to its crop of extremely corrupt officials on the road. The agency should purge itself of corrupt officers and those found to be wanting in the discharge of its duties.

Concerted action is required by governm ents at all levels to checkmate the excesses of these drivers while safety regulations should be strictly enforced to guarantee the safety of all road users. Trucks that do not meet basic minimum standards of road worthiness should be impounded and discarded while designated holding bays should be provided for their parking. The FRSC should carry out routine and random drug test on drivers plying our roads.Their continuous education and engagement by the regulating agencies and stakeholders should be given topmost priority.
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