By Ibironke Ariyo
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has entered into a strategic alliance with key stakeholders to reduce Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) across Nigeria.
This is contained in a communique issued on Thursday in Abuja at the end of the emergency press briefing and stakeholders meetings to address rising RTCs in Nigeria.
The communique which was co-signed by FRSC management team, executives of transport unions and fleet operators present for the meeting was in a decisive move to tackle the rising incidence of road crashes.
It stated that the partnership, aimed at addressing the root causes of road crashes and promote road safety, brought together transport unions, fleet operators, and other critical stakeholders from the 36 states and FCT.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the last one month, the FRSC witnessed three landmark crashes that were caused by negligence, fatigue, speeding, night trips and dangerous driving.
According to the communique, infrastructure and vehicle related issues, driver related factors, regulatory and educational gaps were identified as causes of RTCs.
The meeting also identified some of the key factors bedeviling road crashes as lack of adequate road signs and bad road structures.
“Poor traffic light infrastructure, overloading, drivers’ complacency, underage drivers operating articulated vehicles.
“Alcohol and illicit drug abuse, extra lights on trucks, covering up of bad behaviours by unions, lack of road education, poor education,traffic discipline and lane indiscipline among others, “it stated.
The meeting resolved that by addressing these critical factors, stakeholders could work together to reduce the incidence of road traffic crashes and ensure safer roads for all users.
It stated that the collaborative effort was crucial in achieving the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 goal of halving road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
It also stated that the key areas of collaboration would be enhanced enforcement, public awareness campaigns, driver retraining programs, vehicle maintenance and infrastructure upgrade.
The meeting commended the FRSC Corps Marshal for various flurry of activities, which were geared towards the transformation of agency in the country
The meeting appealed to motorists not to buy petrol and keep in jerrycans inside their vehicles to prevent fire outbreaks that could lead to unnecessary loss of lives and property.
The meeting also appealed to motorists to obey traffic laws, drive defensively, avoid night trips, check vehicle condition and report reckless driving.
Stakeholders at the meeting were Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Luxury Bus Owners Association of Nigeria (LBOAN), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO)
Others are Independent Petroleum Marketers in Nigeria (IPMAN), Transcorp Hilton transport managers, Rock view transport managers, GIG motors, Benue links among others.
