FRSC to work with drivers, NUPENG to end petrol tanker crashes

The Federal Road Safety Corps and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers- Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers on Tuesday agreed to work together to reduce road traffic crashes involving tanker drivers across Nigeria.

Worried about the increased number of tanker crashes within the past week, the corps marshal, FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, said, “Some of the things we realized with most of these crashes is that, the vehicles were being driven by motor boys (vehicle conductors) and not the drivers.”

Mr. Oyeyemi said it was necessary to enforce rules that will help the corps and the PTD-NUPENG to reduce recklessness and casualties caused by tanker drivers on the roads.

The chairman, PTD-NUPENG, Salimonu Oladiti, said the union was interested in any action that would lead to the safety of road users.

Mr. Oladiti also advised the corps to enforce policies that will checkmate tanker drivers’ excesses. The corps said it was necessary for all tanker drivers to be registered under the union’s database to be integrated into the corps’ national motor vehicle data-base for easy identification.

The collaboration, the corps and the union agreed, will also involve the public education for petrol tanker drivers against reckless driving and disregard for road traffic regulations, retraining of drivers, solicit for government support on fleet renewals, alcohol and drug testing for all tanker drivers at the loading bay by officers of the FRSC and establishment of resting points for these checks.

The union also endorsed the use of speed limiting device for all tankers with effect from September 1. It said any vehicle not fitted with the device will not be allowed to load petroleum products from any of the depots across Nigeria.

The corps and the union will also work together to ensure road worthiness of vehicles under a safe to load programme in all depots, the agreed. It is also expected that the agreements will be discussed at an all stakeholders summit which will take place in Abuja on June 15 at the Musa Yar’Adua centre by 9 a.m. for further collaboration with key players.

Also speaking, the second deputy national chairman, PTD-NUPENG, Dayyabu Garga, said it was also important to commend some of the tankers who have overtime adhered to road traffic regulations to ensure safety on Nigerian roads.