Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal, disclosed this while presenting a paper titled Improving Road Safety in Haulage Operations Through Truck Transit Scheme (TTC), on Thursday, 27th February 2020 in Kaduna.
According to reports by the News Agency Of Nigeria (NAN), the corps marshal spoke at a sensitisation programme organised by the FRSC and Nigerian Shippers Council.
The theme of the programme was “Truck Transit Park: A Panacea for Crash-free Haulage operations in Nigeria.”
The corps marshal was represented by ACM Victor Nwokolo.
He said 361 tankers and 722 trailers were involved in the accidents during the period, the accidents claimed 362 lives and 1,282 were injured.
According to Oyeyemi, truck traffic continues to be a terrible happening that demanded instant and paramount multi-faceted strategies from technology, policy and investment perspectives to curtail.
Speaking on the purpose of the TTS truck transit scheme, he noted that it was to promote road safety and security of cargoes and haulage vehicles while on transit.
The corps marshal added that it was also to reduce pilferage and robbery of cargoes, setbacks and deviation into another territory.
“Non-adherence to the mandatory operational rest-hours by truck transit drivers in the country and non-review of existing road freight regulations in the country towards improving truck transit parks across the country.”
Oyeyemi went on to state that Nigeria has lost billions of naira as a result of truck crashes resulting from drivers fatigue; chaotic parking along major corridors and other harmful practices carried out by the truck drivers.
“The truck transit scheme is therefore apt at a time the country is feeling the negative effects such a loss has on our GDP,” he said.
Furthermore, he noted that “To eradicate road traffic crashes involving truck drivers as a result of driving fatigue and other factors, the construction of truck transit park along the major corridors is necessary.“
“Federal Road Safety Corps through its various policies and intervention programmes will continue to contribute to the full implementation of the scheme towards improving road safety in Nigeria,” he added.
Mr Hassan Bello, The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council also presented a paper titled “Truck Transit Park: A Panacea to Endemic Gridlock and Road Crashes in Nigeria.”
Bello was represented by Mr Nathaniel Makinde, the council’s Director of Inland Transport Service.
Bello noted that when transportation systems are effective, they present economic and social opportunities and profits.
He said that such benefits result in better convenience to markets; employment and additional investments.
He, however, noted that alternatively, an inadequate transport system leads to lower economic profits; lower quality of life and missed opportunities.
Bello further noted that the Shippers Council is promoting the development of TTP projects across the country on a Public-Private Partnership.
According to him, the project is in line with the Federal Government’s policy to address the infrastructure deficit in the country.
He said, “The TTPs can also serve as a logistics chain in relation to the movement of cargo as a dispatch centre.
Moreover, he said, “The TTPs is a common user facility with public authority status equipped with fixed installations and offering services for handling and temporary storage of cargoes carried under customs control for home use, warehousing, temporary admissions, temporary storage for onward transit and cargo aggregation centers.
“It is also hoped that dispatch of cargo can also take place from the TTP facilities.” he said.