The Federal Government has commenced the sensitisation for all articulated and non-articulated truck drivers and operators in Nigeria on truck minimum standard safety.
Speaking at the flag-off of the three days sensitisation programme, the National Chairman of Joint National Transport Safety Committee, Taiwo Mogbojuri, said the exercise will reduce the road crashes by the truck operators in Nigeria.
Mogbojuri said: “We are here to commence the first sensitization across Lagos State. That is on compliance of truck minimum standard safety for all truck operators and fleet owners in Lagos State, which was approved by the Presidency, Office of National Security Advisor and Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“Towards reducing the road crashes by the truck operators in Nigeria. Firstly, we cannot do this alone. We have the principal partner who have the statutory authority for road transport management and they are the Federal Road Safety Corps.
“We want to appreciate the Corps’ Marshal for his support from the inception of the committee. Today, we believe the collaboration is going to earn us more of the solution to mitigate the issue of truck crashes in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole.
“The collaboration is what we believe can make this thing happen. It is a collaborative effort and we believe one day, someday and very soon, all this menace will be reduced to zero.
“Lagos State is a representative of the 36 states and FCT Abuja citizens and indigenes which ply their trades across this state. Most of the influx of trucks come from other states to Lagos and they move from Lagos to other states.
“Therefore, it is an entry for all the commercial activities. You know why the trucks are here in Apapa because Apapa is a centre for trucks operation due to the ports and also the tank farms and other industries residing at the Apapa axis.
“We have to start the sanitisation there because we believe they have the influx, the population of the truckers in Lagos.”
On his part, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Lagos State, Patrick Davou, said the exercise is going to help in reducing carnage on Nigerian roads.
Davou said: “This is timely because even we in the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Corps-Marshal has directed all formations of the Federal Road Safety Corps to enforce our laws on the articulated vehicles, vehicles carrying goods and passengers and as well as both dry and wet cargoes.
“So, all the formations have been directed to enforce this minimum standard. So it’s a welcome development and we are going to do just that.
“The task force which involved the FRSC because the FRSC is the lead agency of transport management and administration in Nigeria.
“And so it’s very paramount that we become a key player and that is why they are here this morning to begin with the sensitization because we cannot just start enforcement without sensitizing the transport operators.
“So, we have prepared all logistics for, we have put in place all men and logistics to go with them and see how the sensitization programme is going to continue in the next three days.
“It’s going to help us to reduce carnage on our roads because in most recent times a lot of lives have been lost on our roads because of the activities of these articulated vehicles.
“Most especially carrying boat goods and passengers, animals at the same time. And why it has to start from here is because Lagos State is the gateway to the diaspora.
“We have the seaport, we have the international airport and all these cargoes come through Lagos. And that is what I believe that is why the exercise has to start here in Lagos.”
