Tag: transporters

World Road Safety Day: FRSC Condemns Reckless Driving

frscThe Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC), Ekiti state command on Thursday, warned motorist and commuters to avoid reckless driving on the major roads.

The State Sector Commander, Mr Ismalia Kugu, gave the warning during a press conference in Ado-Ekiti, to mark this year’s World Road Safety Day.

According to him, most of the motorists especially transporters, are fond of risking their lives with over speeding on highways which ought not be so.

Kugu however maintained that apart from motorists, the commuters equally contribute to the accident rates because “most of them fail to obey the rules and regulations of the road”.

“Currently we are in the ember months, and this is a period when motorist and commuters need to take maximum caution while plying the roads.

“We have been sensitizing the drivers’ unions, Okada (motorcycle) unions and other road users, that over loading and over speeding is bad.

“As a road safety officer, we always educate them that while ‎they are on the road, they should use their seat belts and believe that all other road users are insane.

“This is to ensure that they are extra ordinarily careful while driving.

With the 2016 edition themed ‘Vital post-crash action, Medical investigation and Justice’, the FRSC boss said:

“This year’s World Road Safety Day, is an annual programme to commemorate the victims who lost their lives in auto crashes in Nigeria.

“I believe we may all have lost loved ones through car accidents, the theme of the programme is therefore charging us to work together to curb auto crashes and reduce loss of lives on our roads in Ekiti as well as in Nigeria,” he said.

The FRSC commander, further stated that a week programme had been outlined to further sensitize drivers, motorist ‎and commuters to prevent auto crashes as the year runs to an end.

He then warned that any road user caught overspending, over loading and violating road traffic rules would be fined.

Motorists React To FG’s Order To Eliminate Speed Breakers

speed breakers, motorists, FG, HighwaysMotorists as well as residents of some communities have been reacting to the ‘no speed breakers’ directive by the Federal Government.

This is sequel to the directive by Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, ‎that all speed breakers on federal highways be removed.

Those agitating for the speed breakers to remain have insisted that they are necessary, in order to control the speed of motorists on the highways.

They believe that several lives have been lost to road accidents as a result of over-speeding by motorists, especially as some motorists indulge in drunk driving.

Some citizens are, however, in support of the government’s order for the removal of the speed breakers.

Motorists especially have complained that the speed breakers damage their vehicles, insisting that they are of no advantage on the highways.

Federal Controller of Works in Ondo State, Hezekiah Kehinde, in an interview with Channels Television, opined that ‎speed breakers are not part of road design.

According to him, “they are illegal and they even cause accidents”.

Channels TV also spoke with two transporters, Adewale Ojo and Kayode Agbeyanju, who were also of the view that the speed breakers should be removed from the highways.

Meanwhile, an Assistant Corps‎ Marshall in the Federal Road Safety Commission, (FRSC), Wole Olaniran, has suggested that it is rather “preferable for speed limit devices to be installed in vehicles, in order to limit the speed of motorists”.

Sallah Celebration: Abuja Motor Park Records Low Turn-Out of Passengers

Abuja, sallah, motor park, passengers,Transporters at the Jabi Motor Park in Abuja have recorded what they described as the lowest turn-out of travelers compared to other festive periods.

This is in spite of the fact that transport fares have remained the same.

The Park which is arguably the biggest and busiest in Abuja, purportedly experienced a mild traffic on Saturday morning, as travelers complained about hardship due to lack of money.

Some were seen lamenting bitterly about the state of the economy.

The motor park was said to be a bee hive of activities during weekends, especially the ones preceding public holidays. However, things seemed to take a different turn this time.

Some passengers, who spoke to the Channels Television crew, said they would rather send foodstuff to their loved ones than spend the money on transportation.

Transporters however took advantage of the few passengers rushing to their destinations by hiking the fares.

Also in the food stuff market, while some complained about not having money to buy what they needed, others said they were experiencing bumper sales.

Although the holiday period will afford majority the opportunity to visit their loved ones, the current economic realities would generally have an effect on the way the holiday is spent.

Transporters To Increase Efficiency, Fares By 70%

FRSC, operational efficiency, road transport sector ,Some private inter-state transporters have said that fares might be increased by as much as 70%, in order to improve operational efficiency and meet up with the technological demands of doing business in the road transport sector. Especially if the current downward economic trend continues.

According to them, this would help monitor the activities of their drivers and subsequently reduce fatalities in road accidents.

The World Health Organization (WHO), has estimated that over 1.3 Million people are killed annually in road accidents in Nigeria.

Meanwhile records from the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), show that just one of all the road transport companies operating in the country, have been responsible for 11 accidents and 37 deaths between January and June of 2016.

Speaking with the sector’s Transport Standardization Officer, FRSC, Lagos said “Most times it is our attitude on the roads and largely impatience. The typical Nigerian driver is not ready to wait at any point in time”

However, Operations Manager, Cross Country Motors Mattias Makanjuola, in defence of the drivers says, “drivers will always be drivers anywhere anytime. What they need is encouragement.

“If you encourage your drivers and you give them training, they will perform. But in a situation whereby a driver is not having enough fund to maintain himself and his family, on the steering he will be thinking”

General Running And Efficiency Of The Sector

Director of Finance- God is Good Motors, Joseph Osanipin, points out that there is also the issue of vehicle availability and vehicle utilization. He says, “Make the vehicles available by using technology

“Know where the vehicles are moving to, know where the customers are moving from, then you can merge both and there will be efficiency in terms of operation”

A senior lecturer in the Lagos Business School, Henrietta Onwuegbuzie, says people, goods and services need to be transported to markets after being produced. Hence, she opines that if the transportation sector is faulty then the economy is automatically crippled and if it works well, the economy will easily accelerate.