•Stakeholders decry hoodlums’ actions on port entry roads
By Steve Agbota, [email protected] 08033302331
As frequent accidents involving containerised vans proceed to rise, deaths brought on by accidents has risen to about 92 lives, whereas 398 individuals suffered accidents in Lagos state alone in 2022.
Based on information by the Lagos State Command of the Federal Highway Security Corp (FRSC) seen by Day by day Solar, between January and December final 12 months, a complete of 92 individuals died with 398 individuals concerned in accidents involving 261 vans.
The info additional revealed {that a} complete of 74 male adults, eight feminine adults and 10 infants died on account of totally different truck accidents within the previous 12 months.
Nevertheless, the information revealed that in March final 12 months alone, 43 vans have been concerned in several levels of accidents that claimed 19 lives, with 51 individuals sustaining totally different levels of accidents and a complete of 70 casualties recorded.
Giving the additional breakdown of the statistics confirmed that 219 male adults, 57 feminine adults and 30 kids, sustained numerous levels of damage inside the 12 months beneath overview. The FRSC Lagos command additionally disclosed that, it recorded a complete of 61 ‘deadly’ accidents, 85 ‘critical’ accidents and 115 ‘minor’ accidents in 2022.
In the meantime, stakeholders have argued that the recorded fatalities could also be way over what was recorded, as a lot of recorded accidents later resulted in deaths.
Between January and February 2023, a number of lives have been misplaced to containers accidents inside Lagos roads.
For example, a truck carrying 20ft container fell off a truck onto a passenger bus at Ojuelegba, Lagos and 9 individuals have been crushed to demise. Barely 48 hours the incident occurred, one other truck carrying a container misplaced brake and killed two individuals and 4 others have been injured at Ikotun, Lagos state. The injured have been two pregnant girls and two kids. Simply final week, one individual was confirmed useless after a completely loaded 40ft containerised truck skilled brake failure and crushed automobiles on Kara Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Stakeholders who spoke with Day by day Solar stated there’s must ban hoodlums from the port entry roads as they normally dragging steering with truck drivers and forcefully gathering cash from them. The actions of those hoodlums largely consequence to accidents whereas dragging steering with truck drivers alongside the port entry roads.
At a sensitisation marketing campaign with Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Car Inspection Officers (VIO) and FRSC to forestall frequent falling of containers on the roads, Amalgamation of Container Truck Homeowners Affiliation of Nigeria (ACTOAN) stated findings from the thorough investigation by the group recognized numerous elements largely accountable for security hazards inflicting the autumn of container-laden vans.
The Coordinator of ACTOAN, Ridwan Bello, stated lapses, compromise and poor enforcement of the minimal security normal by ports security officers, safety/security/visitors enforcement businesses on the roads, actions of unlawful toll gathering hoodlums on highways/roads and non-compliance of truckers are issue accountable for truck accidents.
He stated some truck house owners dodge the minimal security normal in addition to have poor perspective in direction of common upkeep of their vans, saying employment of drivers with out sufficient coaching and legitimate driver’s licence, alcohol and drug consumption by some truck drivers earlier than embarking on journey are among the points inflicting container accidents.
Bello famous that security, safety/visitors enforcement officers prioritise extortion of truckers over aggressive implementation of minimal security normal on the roads.
He stated they gather bribe and permit vans with out container twistlocks, headlight, facet mirrors, neat tail physique, weak break, goodspring, good axle, amongst others to entry the port to hold load and jeopardise the lives of individuals on the roads.
Bello stated additionally they sabotage the security normal and compliance of truckers via harm of truck windscreen, breaking facet mirrors, truck cap, stabbing truck tyres with daggers, and beating drivers for refusing to pay cash at checkpoints as a substitute of implementing minimal security normal.
He famous that investigation additionally revealed that lawless hoodlums of their effort to gather cash from drivers, take away break hose of shifting vans main to interrupt failure and crashing of vans with passengers and automobiles.
Bello additional disclosed that the ports and terminals security officers carelessly enable vans with incomplete container hooks, worn out tyres, dangerous tail physique headlights, amongst others to entry, load and go away the ports and terminals.
He stated from the evaluation, with out sentiment and bias, it’s crystal clear that authorities, port authority, truckers, hoodlums, safety/visitors/security enforcement businesses and terminals are all culpable within the incessant falling of containers on roads.
The group, nevertheless, urged Lagos State authorities to outlaw, ban, and criminalise actions of roads/highways hoodlums inflicting truck accident and endangering the lives and property of highway customers throughout the state.
The group additionally urged related stakeholder to be extra proactive within the enforcement of minimal security normal on errant truckers to forestall avoidable falling of containers.The group known as for distancing bus stops from highways/bridge foot to forestall collision of vans with pedestrian and motorists within the occasion of vans shedding management. The group additionally known as for outright ban of economic bus operators from sudden cease and selecting up of passengers at unauthorised spots on the roads. Bello stated this causes sudden matching of break by truck drivers, which might set off waving and falling of containers or trigger the truck to collide with buses and different automobiles on the highways.
Talking with Day by day Solar on the menace and the way in which ahead, the Nationwide President of COMTUA, Mr. Adeyinka Aroyewun stated the situations of the highway accountable for these many of the containers accidents or being fell of from the vans.
Based on him, the roads are dangerous, not motor worthy, individuals are not obeying visitors guidelines to the extent that hoodlums on the highway drag steering with the drivers.
“Automobiles are parked, loading passengers on unauthorized locations, that is normally trigger an accident. We’ll blame the federal government for this for not implementing visitors guidelines and never making certain the roads are in good situation,” he stated.
Talking with Day by day Solar, the Nationwide President of COMTUA, Mr. Adeyinka Aroyewun stated the situations of the highway accountable for these many of the container accidents or being fell of from the vans.
Based on him, the roads are dangerous, not motor worthy, individuals are not obeying visitors guidelines to the extent that hoodlums on the highway drag steering with the drivers.
“Automobiles are parked, loading passengers on unauthorized locations, that is normally trigger an accident. We’ll blame the federal government for this for not implementing visitors guidelines and never making certain the roads are in good situation,” he stated.
For his half the President Basic, Maritime Employees Union of Nigeria (MWUN); Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, famous that most of the vans working within the nation are outdated and rickety, whereas urging federal and state governments to implement sanctions and guarantee correct monitoring in order to scale back the variety of truck accidents on the roads.
“Lots of the vans are outdated and rickety and there’s a want for the federal government to implement sanction and monitoring, we are going to assist the trucking associations as a result of these vans represent a menace on our roads” he stated.