Crash Reduction: FRSC Bars Dangote Trucks on Roads from 7pm to 7am

By Dipo Olowookere

Worried by the incessant road crashes involving trucks from Dangote Group, which have led to deaths of many motorists, the management of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has directed the company’s drivers not to ply any road in the country from the hours of 7pm to 7am.

In a statement obtained by Business Post on Tuesday, the agency threatened to impound any truck belonging to the firm violating this directive.

“Dangote Trucks not allowed to drive from 7pm to 7am, any of the company’s truck found around that time will be impounded at sight,” the statement said.

It said further that, “Foreign number plates on the company’s trucks to be replaced with Nigeria Number Plates before 31 December, 2019,” adding that, “Periodic and random driver’s eye check should be conducted for the fleet drivers.”

Also, FRSC ordered that, “All Dangote trucks to be fully installed with Speed Limiting Device before December 31, 2019,” while the company is expected to “provide details of any driver who commits traffic infraction to FRSC for subjection to Emotional Stability Test.”

Dangote is further required to “provide details of any driver who runs away after a crash to FRSC for flagging on the database so as to track such drivers and prevent reissuance of NDL,” while “FRSC and Dangote Group [are] to commence a joint effort to ensure that all abandoned or broken down Dangote Trucks are towed within the next 30 days commencing from September 18 to October 17, 2019,” with all Dangote trucks expected “to have at least a mini first aid box.”

Business Post gathered that these decisions were reached after a meeting between the road agency and the conglomerate.

In the statement signed by the Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, the meeting was part of the ongoing concerted efforts by the corps to reduce the rate of occurrence of crashes involving articulated vehicles and also ensure prompt removal of broken-down vehicles on the highways.

“There is need for the company to be strict in its recruitment process for drivers; requirements such as age for both entry and retirement should be made a priority issue to avoid under age driving and maintain a fixed age for retirement,” Mr Kazeem quoted the Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, as saying during the meeting.

To achieve the aforementioned, Mr Oyeyemi charged the group to establish more driving schools and also make it open to the public so that drivers and would be drivers can apply for training as this will go a long way in making the highways safer for all to use.

Responding, head of the delegation, Mr Juan Carlos Rincom, appreciated the FRSC for its unwavering commitment to sanitising the highways and pledged the company’s willingness to carry out all resolutions made in the meeting