Accidents: Lagos to implement logistic routes for trucks, articulated vehicles

The Lagos State Government says it was contemplating implementing logistic routes for trucks and articulated vehicles as specified in the State’s Transport Master Plan.

The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde made the disclosure at a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa Ikeja.

According to NAN, Oladeinde said that the decision was made following recurring truck accidents happening within the State, especially the most recent ones which resulted in loss of lives and property.

He noted that in order to curb incessant truck accidents, the stakeholders would gather periodically to chart robust strategies that would further checkmate unceasing truck accidents in the state.

The commissioner said that safety and security of Lagosians remained paramount to the government.

He stressed that a combination of different policies, which included erecting truck barriers, compliance with minimum safety standards and restricting movement of articulated vehicles to designated routes, would curb the persistent accidents.

Explaining the proposed logistic routes for trucks and articulated vehicles, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Mr Abdulhafiz Toriola, noted that the government was considering implementing use of designated routes.

Toriola said that the routes were one of the strategies to checkmate the operations and activities of trucks plying the State roads.

He said that the government did not want to take unilateral decisions, hence it called for the stakeholders’ engagement to dialogue with relevant unions before taking necessary steps.

The permanent secretary also mentioned that the ministry was reviewing the Minimum Safety Standard Procedure (SSP) for trucks and articulated vehicles being implemented by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

He said it might modify the SSP by including the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) officials in the inspection process.

Toriola also expressed the government’s willingness to collaborate with relevant truck operators to ensure that drivers manning the steering of trucks were well trained.

He added that only qualified drivers were allowed to drive the trucks/articulated vehicles within the State.