With the ongoing plan to flag off the end of year special road safety patrol organized by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), leaders of the road transport unions in the country have jointly expressed solidarity with the FRSC, giving assurances to work to make the exercise a success. This was the outcome of the pre-end of year operation meeting held with the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi at the FRSC National Headquarters, Abuja.

In a release, Bisi Kazeem, Corps Public Education Officer, FRSC,  while welcoming the participants, the Corps Marshal expressed satisfaction with the level of support and solidarity he has received from them over the years with some physically participating in the end of year special operations. He noted that the need for sustained collaboration of the stakeholders is most imperative during the embers months due to increased human and vehicular traffic and assured that the Corps is not leaving any stone unturned in its commitment to ensuring safer road environment during the yuletide season.

 In his pre-meeting presentation, the Corps Marshal noted with appreciation, the support of members of the unions during the recent FRSC 7th annual lecture series; the efforts of the PTD-NUPENG in increasing the number of drivers with valid driver’s licence and regular attendance of the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Najeem Yasin to most of the FRSC programmes. He further noted the ongoing construction of roadside clinic for FRSC in Ilorin by the NURTW and the Driver’s Licence centre being constructed by the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) at Uromi.

 Oyeyemi further expressed happiness over the success of special patrols conducted by the FRSC in the outgoing year, saying while 48 percent reduction was achieved during the Sallah celebration as compared to the same period in 2016; there was a corresponding reduction of 23 percent in the fatality rates during the same period last year.

  He noted, however, that a reduction of 33 percent was recorded in the rate of road traffic crashes during the 2017 Easter special patrol as compared to the same period in 2016, adding that a reduction of 35 percent fatalities was recorded within the period. 

 On the level of compliance with use of speed limiters by commercial operators, the Corps Marshal noted that the compliance level has gone to 40 percent currently, expressing optimism that more drivers are keying into the project. The Corps Marshal expressed regret over continuous violent attacks against personnel of the Corps performing their statutory duties on the highway, urging the transport union leaders to warn their members against such barbaric acts. He vowed that he would pursue cases of violence against members of the Corps to the logical conclusion to get justice for the victims.

 In their various remarks, the transport union representatives commended the Corps Marshal for his untiring efforts to unify the various unions for collective campaign against the menace of road traffic crashes. They expressed satisfaction with the existing collaboration, unity and synergy which they said was made possible through the unifying initiatives of the Corps Marshal and gave assurances that they would support the Corps for the success of the end of year special patrol exercise. 

The President of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Alhaji Kassim Bataiya particularly assured that towards the success of the operations, his union has secured the services of 200 members who would be sent to the FRSC for special training by the Corps for deployment for traffic management assignment during the special operation.

 The participants identified some factors militating against the success of road safety campaign in the country. These include poor condition of road in parts of the country;  lack of trailer parking facilities in many states of the Federation, indiscriminate loading of passengers by touts as well as multiple road taxation by some state government in the name of revenue generation.

 Others, according to them, are introduction of different passenger manifest by some state government with intent to use it to generate money; use of substandard vehicles and failure to adhere to minimum safety standards by some drivers of articulated vehicles including tankers and trailers and continuous patronage of fake driver’s licences by some commercial drivers.

 The entirety of the leaderships of the unions resolved to join hands with the FRSC to work in the interest of road safety as a collective responsibility.

 The meeting which had in attendance representatives of the major transport unions in the country including the NURTW, NARTO, RTEAN, PTD-NUPENG also had representatives of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Department of State Service (DSS) in attendance.