Oko (Anambra) – In a bid to reduce road fatalities, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has urged tertiary institutions in the country to key into its Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme.
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Anambra Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr Sunday Ajayi, gave the advice on Monday during his official visit to Prof. Godwin Onu, the Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra.
The standardisation scheme is meant for organisations with more than five vehicles in their fleet.
While expressing displeasure at the recent road accidents that claimed the lives of prominent Nigerians, Ajayi said it was time every stakeholder keyed into the safety business.
“I want to solicit support for the Federal Road Safety Commission; if a road crash could claim the life of a minister; if a road crash could claim the life of a whole major-general, who else can road accidents not take?
“It means that everybody must be on their guard; driving is not child’s play; it’s a serious business.
“There is what we call Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme; it actually focuses on fleet operators – people that have five vehicles and above in their fleet.
“The polytechnic environment is in that category and I am sure you have not joined this scheme.
“You are not going to pay a dime for joining the scheme, but if you join the scheme, you will benefit immensely from it.
“We would like the rector to direct the transport officer to look into this area and join the scheme because it will help you to focus on the activities of your drivers, the maintenance of your vehicles, and the area of training.’’
He urged the management of the polytechnic to put up road signs and speed breakers around the school’s main gate as a way of safeguarding the lives of the people in the academic community.
Responding, Onu said that the polytechnic was concerned about the plight of road users especially the road traffic deaths.
Onu said that many drivers were ignorant of the highway code and that they were able to qualify as driver only because they could simply start a car and move it from one point to another.
“FRSC requires a lot of support and encouragement because it remains one of the most decent organisations we have on our roads that are still respected by everybody.
“So government should be able to support it by providing it with vehicles equipped with digital monitoring devices that can capture what is happening on the roads.
“We feel that the unit requires encouragement in terms of facilities, in terms of finances, in terms of motivation and in terms of training.” (NAN)