The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, said on Tuesday in Lagos that the corps would soon resume full enforcement on articulated vehicles whose containers are not properly latched.
Oyeyemi disclosed this when he spoke during his traffic assessment on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
He said that the major concern of the FRSC was to prevent the trailers and flat belt containers from falling unnecessarily.
“Our major concern has to do with the flat belt trailers because in 2015, we started the enforcement in which over 3,000 trailers were impounded.
“We later entered into an agreement with their union executives on full compliance but recently, we just discovered some non-compliance among the trailer drivers.
“Enforcement is supposed to be a deterrent, such that if you don’t want to be penalised, you have to stay away from violating traffic rules and regulations.
“We are resuming full enforcement of the flat belt trailers and containers that are not properly latched to the vehicles,’’ he said.
But, on Monday truck owners, under aegis of Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMARTO) boycotted a meeting that was to hold with the FRSC boss, accusing his officials of collecting exorbitant fines.
Chairman of AMATO; Chief Remi Ogungbemi said that arrest of trucks by FRSC officials is beyond serving as a deterrent.
“They are arresting trucks especially the containerized trucks because the containers are not properly secured on the trailer. They said they are doing that to serve as a deterrent to others. But their action is beyond serving as a deterrent. If a truck that charged N40, 000 for a job was arrested and charged N200, 000, then it is no longer a deterrent instead it is a reproach”, he stated.
“Presently members are not happy about the rate of arrests that is going on nationwide especially Lagos and Ogun state. There are many of our members whose trucks have been arrested at different locations. He confirmed that, “the meeting that was scheduled to hold today (Monday) with the Corp Marshal was to address all those points but our members were all reluctant to come for the meeting”, he lamented.
But, while insisting on enforcement of standards, the Corps Marshal said that the enforcement would also focus on the quality of tyres of the trailers, trucks and other articulated vehicles.
Oyeyemi said that the corps had decided that every vehicle had to comply with minimum safety standards, in term of tyres and other safety gadgets.
“Using fake and second hand tyres is an act of irresponsibility, which must be stopped.
“Enough is enough of wasting the lives of innocent persons unnecessarily on the highways.
“Motorists must produce effective C-caution signs; gone are the days when vehicles used leaves, stones and tyres as C-caution signs.
“Tyres, for instance, are not reflective as warning signs and I have warned those still using them on the implications,’’ the Corps Marshal added.
Discussion about this post