The Jigawa Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps has vowed to fight drivers’ practice of overloading, including putting passengers in their vehicles’ boots.
The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Angus Ibezim, gave this assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Dutse on Thursday.
Ibezim, who described the practice as ‘inhuman, obnoxious and condemnable,’ noted that the offences were rampant among drivers in the state.
He said: ‘‘Just last week, our patrol team apprehended a Golf Wagon vehicle along Dutse – Kwanar Huguma Road carrying 12 passengers with four inside the boot.
‘‘This practice, as we all know, is inhuman and obnoxious, and therefore, condemnable in its entirety. Let us fight this menace, which is now spreading like wild fire.’’
He assured that the corps would continue to check overloading, particularly by commercial drivers, adding that it was one of the major causes of accidents.
The sector commander further said that the command was making efforts in curbing the menace of overloading and conveying of passengers in the boots.
Ibezim said: ‘‘The command has put in place measures to address the ugly monster through aggressive public enlightenment programmes via media, motor parks, mosques, churches and stakeholders meeting.”
According to him, the public enlightenment includes intervention by relevant institutions as well as full enforcement of traffic rules and regulations.
He said: ‘‘We usually do that through advocacy, public enlightenment among road users including commercial vehicle operators and motorcycle riders associations.
‘‘We also conduct public enlightenment in mosques, churches, markets and visit traditional leaders in their communities.’’
Ibezim, who assured that the command would not relent in enforcing traffic laws against overloading, warned drivers to desist from the ugly practice.
He said anyone caught flouting the rules and regulations would face the wrath of the law.
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