Lagos – The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has mobilised human and material resources to compel truck drivers to comply with road safety rules.
Mr Nseobong Akpabio, Zonal Commanding Officer (ZCO) of the Lagos and Ogun Command, made the announcement at the commencement of the Special Patrol Programme of the FRSC on Monday in Lagos.
Akpabio said that truck drivers had become “killers on wheels.
‘’Therefore, it is important to start the campaign from the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway corridor, considering that Lagos is the hub of trucks and trailers.
“The FRSC has both the human and material resources to tackle the menace of truck drivers,’’ he stated.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the special patrol, tagged ‘Operation Scorpion’ would end on July 31.
NAN learnt that no fewer than 74 trailers and trucks had been impounded.
Thirty five of the vehicles were impounded at Mowe, 21 at Ojota, 13 at Oluyole and five at Ogere.
The ZCO said the special patrol was focussing on unlatched containers, lane indiscipline, rickety vehicles, over-loading and drivers not having driving licence.
Akpabio said that all functional patrol, rescue and recovery vehicles as well as para-medical officers in the command would be deployed for the exercise.
He said that mobile courts had been set up by the FRSC in conjunction with Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States at strategic places to try offending drivers.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
Akpabio enjoined FRSC operatives to exhibit high sense of discipline during the exercise.
The National Chairman of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners, Mr Remi Ogungbemi, urged government to provide condusive environment and infrastructure for safe driving of articulated drivers.
Ogungbemi said that most accidents were caused by bad roads, urging drivers to drive with caution and to also abide by road safety rules.
A driver, Adamu Zubairu, who was arrested for having fake driving licence, pleaded with the FRSC to sensitise drivers on how to get genuine driver’s licence.
NAN reports that arrested drivers were released after they were prosecuted and fined at a mobile court at Mowe in Ogun. (NAN)
