The Federal Government has placed a ban on importation of haulage vehicles that are 10 years old from the date of their manufacture. The ban is expected to take effect from 1st of January 2020.
The ban was one of the resolutions of the stakeholders’ forum for haulage operators which held recently, courtesy of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha.
The meeting was called as a result of the recent road traffic crash on Otedola Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway where over 55 vehicles were burnt and multiple fatalities recorded.
The communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, and which was sighted by Shipping Position Daily also directed that mandatory certification of all haulage vehicles will now be carried out twice in 12 months.
According to the communiqué which was signed by the SGF, the Federal Government will also work closely with the Bank of Industry (BOI) and other financial institutions towards the establishment of a Fleet Acquisition Renewal Scheme for haulage operators.
Other resolution of the meeting was that: "Standard speed limiters must be installed in all haulage vehicles in Nigeria, and that “tankers without safety valves and the required number plates will henceforth be disallowed from loading".
The meeting also agreed that: Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other relevant agencies should immediately harmonize operating safety requirements at all tank farms”, even as it was agreed that “periodic checks of haulage vehicles must be carried out at relevant loading points”.
The communiqué also stated that, “payment of National Transportation Allowance (NTA) and bridging claims to tanker operators will henceforth be contingent on compliance with minimum safety standards" and that, henceforth “single operators of haulage vehicles must be duly registered with National Association of Road Transport Owners ( NARTO ) and comply with RTSSS provisions".
Chairman of Association of Maritime Truck Owners (MARTO); Chief Remi Ogungbemi who also attended the meeting had earlier confirmed to Shipping Position Daily that the objective of the forum was for the government to find a lasting solution to the menace of road traffic accidents involving haulage and other related vehicles on Nigerian roads.
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