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FRSC, Shippers’ Council sign agreement to ban rickety trucks at the port

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As part of effort to get rid of rickety trucks on the road and most especially the nations’ ports, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and its counterpart the Nigerian Shippers Council have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set standards for truck owners and drivers for effective implementation.

The memorandum was signed when the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi visited the Shippers tower in Apapa, on Monday.

 Oyeyemi, during the visit expressed plan of the government to get rid off trucks that are 30 years old from operating on Nigerian roads, saying 90 per cent of trucks operating on Nigerian roads are over 30 years and there is need for constant renewal.

The FRSC boss lamented the state of the trucks on the Nigerian roads and called for an improvement on the maintenance and standardisation schemes for vehicles noting that most of trucks lacked safety measures like lighting, reflectors and other parts.

According to the FRSC boss, most of the trucks frequently breakdown on the road, due to their age, thereby prolonging the days goods spend on the road before it gets to destinations.”

He said “there is decay in the vehicle inspection system in the country, most of the trucks are not road worthy and this poses a serious threat to road users. When these trucks break down, the goods will not get to its destination as scheduled and this affects the end users,” Oyeyemi lamented said.

The Corps Marshal added that as regards the Vehicle Transit Area (VTA) project, more stakeholder’s engagement are needed to produce results and it should not be by enforcement.

On his part, the Executive Secretary, NSC, Barrister Hassan Bello said the MoU signed was to generate a database on trucks, training, VTA implementation, public education and enlightenment and others.

He noted that the meeting was to deliberate on the way forward toward providing solutions to transport infrastructure deficit and other operational challenges to cargo movement. Bello added that the corps marshal’s support of the council’s projects and activities had accelerated the achievements of major milestones in the development of critical infrastructure for trade facilitation.

He said to facilitate the development of critical transport infrastructure that supported trade and enforced standards, the council was promoting two major transport infrastructures, namely Inland Dry Ports and VTA project.

According to him, the NSC conceptualised the development of the Truck Transit Park, now VTA, to provide convenient rest areas for truckers. Bello stated that other road users would also benefit from the project as it would ensure safety as 90 per cent of trucks operating on Nigerian roads are over 30 years, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC).

Bello also reiterated that the partnership between the NSC and the FRSC has recorded reasonable landmarks, especially in traffic management and safety of cargo in transit.

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