FRSC commences major operations against trucks and trailers operators

The Federal Road Safety Corps has commenced a major operation against truck and tanker operations.

It is aimed at ensuring that operators of the vehicles abide by traffic rules and regulations to prevent fatal crashes involving them as recorded across the country at the beginning of the year.

Code-named: “Operation Scorpion,” to depict the painful effects of scorpion sting, the exercise was initiated by the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, following the spate of road traffic crashes involving trailers and trucks, with the specific aim at addressing the chaotic manners that the vehicles operate on the nation’s highways.

The operations, which commenced in the early hours of Monday, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, where majority of the vehicles ply, is being prosecuted by Zone 2 Headquarters of the FRSC with all the component commands as well as the neighbouring commands in Oyo State participating.

According to Bisi Kazeem, the FRSC’s Head of Media Relations and Strategy, the exercise is a fallout of the various strategies being put in place to deal practically with the challenges which truck and trailer operations pose to the nation.

Kazeem said after advocacy, enforcement of the relevant traffic rules must follow.

He opined that FRSC Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, stated that the FRSC has a four point agenda, which are education, enlightenment, subtle force and full enforcement.

He added that enough advocacy and enlightenment programmes have been carried out jointly with the stakeholders.

“Whoever that has not learnt a lesson on the safety messages we preached at the various forums over the period must be prepared to bear the consequences of violating the traffic rules as we commence full enforcement,” he stated.

Oyeyemi contended that from the beginning of the year, the Corps had been in full consultation with the various transport unions on the need for their members to comply with the traffic rules and regulations in the collective resolve to ensure safer road environment.

He further stated that part of the resolutions reached during the courtesy calls he made to the unions leaderships was the need to organise Mega Rallies at the various parks across the country with a view to sensitising members of the public, particularly the drivers, to be safety couscous.

Oyeyemi said: “We have been on that programme, including the National Summit on Haulage Operations, which was held in Abuja, with a plan of action drawn by the participants.

“While we sustained the advocacy with other stakeholders to enable every operator put his house in order, the full enforcement, which would commence with trucks and trailers, is, therefore, the logical manifestation of the advocacy programmes we have been holding.

“Furthermore, from 1st September, 2015, the special operation on petroleum tankers, as jointly agreed to by the stakeholders, would commence.”

Speaking further on the operation, to the Zonal Commanding Officer of FRSC Zone 2 Lagos, Assistant Corps Marshal Nseobong Charles Akpabio, Operation Scorpion involves checking vehicles, especially trailers, to determine their level of compliance with laid down safety standards on brake system, latching of trucks, worn out or expired tyres, broken or lack of headlamp and trafficators, non possession of driver’s licence and valid documents as well as general mechanical status of vehicles and health conditions of the drivers.

Akpabio said: “One the first day of the operation, over 80 trunks were apprehended and their drivers were summarily tried by mobile courts, which conduct summary trials, saying that all the personnel and logistics of the Zone are being deployed for the exercise.

“The special operation is the initiative of the National Headquarters, Abuja, and the choice of Lagos as the launching point was informed by the high concentration of trailers and trucks on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.”

Akpabio added that the exercise is being carried out simultaneously at Ogere, Mowe, Shagamu, Ogunmakin areas of Lagos and Ogun States, where majority of the vehicles pass through to various parts of the country, stressing that the Zone is being joined by neighbouring commands in Oyo State with Oluyole, Eleyele, Mokola and Moniya, serving as strategic units in that state.

Reports from the participating states of Ogun and Oyo show that on the first day of the operation, 89 vehicles were apprehended in Ogun State, 36 impounded in Lagos State, while 12 drivers were issued with tickets in Oyo State. As at 2pm on the second day of the operation, 35 trucks had been apprehended and arraigned before the Mobile Courts.

Speaking further on the operations, Akpabio disclosed that all relevant stakeholders in road safety matters, including the transport unions, joined in the exercise, which elicited massive support from the media, members of the law enforcement agencies as well as members of the public who hailed it as a welcome development capable of restoring orderliness in trailers and truck operations and preventing fatal crashes on the nation’s highways.

The five-day operation is being coordinated from the FRSC National Headquarters, Abuja, with a special monitoring team led by Corps Marshal Oyeyemi expected to join in the operations, while the second phase will commence in earnest based on the assessment of the current exercise.