The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Usman, has given March 1 deadline to the Federal Road Safety Commission ( FRSC) for enforcement of Minimum Standard of Safety and Road Worthiness (MSSRW) for all trucks entering Nigerian ports.
Speaking during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FRSC in Lagos, Usman said NPA had the responsibility of protecting lives and properties of all stakeholders accessing her services.
According to her, this is by ensuring that all articulated vehicles and trucks which on daily basis freight containers and assorted bulk cargoes to different parts of the country from the ports meet the required minimum safety standards.
Usman said NPA was collaborating with the FRSC as part of efforts to put lasting solutions to the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway gridlock.
“To ensure full compliance, NPA is collaborating with the FRSC and other safety enforcement agencies toward achieving safety standard for trucks accessing the ports by adopting the Road Traffic Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS).
“This include regular inspection and certification of the NPA’s fleet.
“Apapa for example, is home to Nigeria’s two foremost ports which are being managed by nine terminal operators,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes Usman as saying.
She said, “Between the two ports, more than 65 per cent of dry cargoes and about 90 per cent of the nation’s liquid (petroleum products) are handled.’’
The managing director said this was because “Apapa hosts about 35 tank farms in addition to the numerous other businesses located in the port city’’.
“Going by the operational activities highlighted above, there is always heavy vehicular traffic around all port locations and most of these vehicles are not in good state.
“This debilitating vehicular traffic has assumed a frightening dimension in so many port areas.
“It has led to serious accidents that have claimed innocent lives and several man hours lost in traffic jam.
“Miscreants, armed robbery and other social vices have been on increase because of the perennial traffic situation in those areas,’’ NAN quotes Usman as saying.
She said that past efforts put in place by the authority, some state governments and terminal operators to ameliorate the situation were to no avail.
According to her, this is because most of the vehicles plying the road are not road worthy.
Usman urged the FRSC to ensure that no rickety vehicle enters the port.
In his address, Oyeyemi said his agency was happy over the NPA’s initiative.
He reminded owners of heavy duty trucks operating within and around the ports on the need to strictly adhere to the minimum safety standards.
Oyeyemi said this would ensure safety of haulage operations, adding that FRSC would enforce all aspects of the MoU.
He said adequate and appropriate driver education and speed limiter were vital and would therefore, be enforced by his men.
Oyeyemi said from March 1, officers of the agency would be fully mobilised for the enforcement of the law.
While commending the NPA for signing the MoU, he urged fleet owners and truck owners associations to obey the new rules by the NPA. (NAN)
