90% of trucks in Nigeria over 30 years old – FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says 90 per cent of trucks in the country are over 30 years old. The FRSC Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, revealed this during an interactive session between the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), FRSC and transport operators on Monday in Lagos.

Oyeyemi called for improved vehicle maintenance and standardization programs, as most of them lacked safety measures such as lighting, reflectors and other parts. He stressed the need for federal government intervention to ensure truckers renew their fleets, as vehicles that have been on the road for 30 years should be scrapped. Oyeyemi pointed out that “due to the age of the trucks, they frequently break down on the road, thus prolonging the days that goods spend on the road before reaching their destination.”

“When I got to this place, I went over the third bridge on the mainland and saw trucks lining up on the bridge towards Apapa and it’s not good. “Bridges are not intended to carry fixed trucks and when we have such a scenario, we reduce the life of the bridges.

“In addition, the vehicle inspection system is rotten in the country, most trucks are not roadworthy and this poses a serious threat to road users. When these trucks break down, the goods will not reach their destination as expected and this affects end-users,” he said.

Oyeyemi added that when it comes to the Vehicle Transit Zone (VTA) project, greater stakeholder engagement is needed to deliver results and this should not be done through law enforcement. NSC Executive Secretary Mr Hassan Bello noted that the meeting should deliberate on the way forward to address the transport infrastructure deficit and other operational challenges related to the movement of goods. Bello added that the marshal’s support for the Council’s projects and activities had accelerated the achievement of major milestones in the development of essential infrastructure for trade facilitation. He said that to facilitate the development of critical transport infrastructure that supports trade and applied standards, the council is promoting two major transport infrastructure, namely inland dry ports and the VTA project.

According to him, the NSC conceptualized the development of Truck Transit Park, now VTA, to provide convenient rest areas for truckers. Bello said other road users would also benefit from the project as it would ensure the safety of lives and cargo. “NSC also has the mandate to ensure effective and efficient service delivery throughout the transport chain. “The partnership between the NSC and the FRSC has achieved reasonable benchmarks, especially in traffic management and the security of goods in transit,” he said. The NSC boss added that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)has been signed with the FRSC to set standards for truck owners and drivers for effective implementation.

He said the MoU also aims to generate a database on trucks, training, AVV implementation, public education and awareness and others. Mr Nanbol Nanle, Deputy Director, Inland Transport Services Department, NSC, noted that the VTA project would need a public-private partnership to thrive. Nanle stressed that the main objective of the project was to provide a resting place for truck drivers and a measure of comfort for them in order to reduce fatigue and accidents on the roads.

He said the facility would include a machine shop, hotels, health centre, police station, gas station, warehouse, weighbridge, fire department, cave, and more. Some of the stakeholders who participated in the event include the Association of Shipping Owners, the Council of Trade Unions and Shipping Truck Associations, the Association of Road Transport Employers of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Association of Shipping Owners. road transport. (NAN)