TRUCK ACCIDENTS IN LAGOS: OWNERS, DRIVERS WANT STREET URCHINS OFF ROADS; GOVT. DEMAND COMPULSORY DRIVERS’ TRAINING • As stakeholders parley over road safety on Lagos roads
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
Stakeholders in the transportation sector of Lagos State have met over the incessant accidents involving trucks and other articulated vehicles in Lagos. The stakeholders parley organized by the National Industrial Safety Council of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter in collaboration with the Lagos State Drivers Institute, had in attendance members of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (ARMATO), LACVIS, LASTMA, VIO, as well as other stakeholders, Trek Africa Newspaper can report.
Speaking at the meeting, the General Manager of Lagos State Drivers Institute, Mrs. Afusat Tiamiyu said: ‘The rate at which truck accidents is happening in Lagos, something needs to be done, that is why we called this stakeholders meeting to inform all truck drivers and business owners that truck drivers need to be trained so that we can have a sane driving culture where businesses can thrive.’
She added: ‘We believe that all professional drivers in Lagos should be trained. The law which set up this agency says if you are driving for a living, you need to pass through the agency to be trained. All the concerns of the truck drivers raised here have been noted and will be channeled to appropriate quarters.’
The Chairman of National Industrial Safety Council of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, Omoba Adeyinka Oyediran shared: ‘Our collective commitment to safety extends beyond the confines of individual roles; it’s a shared vision that unites us in safeguarding our roads, ensuring the longevity of our trucks, and fostering a culture of compliance.’
‘Safety is not just a measure; it’s a culture, a commitment, and a collective responsibility. In the tapestry of life, each thread of caution we weave ensures a safer journey for all’, Trek Africa Newspaper gathered from Omoba Oyediran as he educated the stakeholders.
In a brief interview with Trek Africa Newspaper, Oyediran added: ‘We are clamoring that government, truck owners, truck drivers, and others should come together to look at safety. It is not just about revenue alone, we should think about safety. We may have to go back to Lagos House of Assembly to look at the laws that we have to see areas where they need improvement so that they can stand the test of time. There is solution to every problem. Government wants to make money, we want sane environment and decency from truck drivers so we need to partner so that we can have Lagos smart city in practical terms.’
A fleet manager and women leader of ARMATO, Itunuoluwa Shonibare indicated: ‘What Association of Maritime Truck Owners (ARMATO) is clamoring that Lagos State Government gives us is that they should remove street urchins from the roads. They are a major cause of accident and because of them, we can’t retain our drivers who are professional. We only have those who come once in a while and leave once they are harassed.’
‘Today we learned some new things and dropped the ones that are wrong. Everyone is working hand-in-hand for safety. We have taken our own fault, evaluate the fault of government and government agencies so that we can ensure that things are in order’, she told Trek Africa Newspaper.
A participant, Victor Folabo remarked: ‘we are here to do a workshop to ensure safety of vehicles on our roads. If you remember that Lagos State has been trying in terms of repairing our roads, construction of bridges, and others. Although much still needs to be done because safety is a regular thing that must be done.’
‘The role of car owners and truck drivers to ensure that roads are safe cannot be taken away. If our vehicles are not roadworthy, we should take them for repairs and further tests. When the vehicles have been certified OK, they can ply the roads. Also they should not wait until the vehicles are so bad before taking it for repairs. It can endanger lives. So on a regular basis, commercial vehicles should go for tests at least twice a year and personal vehicles at least once a year. But before then, routine tests and voluntary inspection should be done and also when you are having some kind of signs’, Trek Africa Newspaper gathered.
