Stakeholders commend deployment of FRSC to fuel depots

Stakeholders in petroleum product marketing business, Thursday, reviewed the initiative on the deployment of the personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to the various depots and tanker farms in the country with the consensus that it was an appropriate action capable of contributing to the efforts to tackle the menace of road traffic crashes involving tankers and trailers.

This was disclosed in a statement made available by Bisi Kazeem, Head of Media Relations and Strategy of the FRSC.

Speaking at the interactive session with the stakeholders who came to review the programme one week after it commended, the participants in their different assessments commended the FRSC for its prompt response to the call made by the stakeholders at the National Summit who suggested the idea during the National Summit on haulage operations organised by the FRSC.

It would be recalled that FRSC deployed 160 of its personnel to the various depots and tanker farms on 1st September in order to enlighten and enforce minimum safety standards on tankers that load petroleum products from the facilities. The initiative was intended to save the nation from the incidences of tanker crashes and spillage of fuel which cause destruction of lives and property in the inferno.

While evaluating the operational policy, the Corps Marshal stated that the idea of deploying officers to the depots was to ensure that tanker drivers observance minimum safety standard at the depots before loading the products, calling on the stakeholders to do more to achieve the desired results.

Speaking further, Oyeyemi stated that the idea was mooted at the National Summit and agreed to by the generality of stakeholders, thus making it part of the plan of action which was arrived at to deal with the menace of tankers/trailers crashes. ”In line with the resolutions, we commenced special operations against truck and trailer drivers who operate without observing the minimum safety standard,” he stated.

“We also conducted retraining and recertification programmes at 9 centres across the country and embarked on operation scorpion in which 3,000 vehicles were apprehended, while the deployment of our personnel to the depots took place on 1st September, 2015.

“This review today is part of the process and which enables us to assess how far the programme has gone for us to fully realign to it and make it more efficient,” he stated.

Oyeyemi further pointed out that the deployment was an interventionist measure that would not involve any financial commitment from the facility managers and owners as it was intended for only safety purpose, adding that it was not meant to remain permanent. He called on the stakeholders to give it maximum support to achieve the desired results.

While expressing satisfaction with the progress made since the Corps stepped up its consultation with the relevant stakeholders early this year, the Corps Marshal appealed for commitment from the stakeholders to collectively restore sanity to the roads; “The deployment is not going to be permanent, but an interventionist measure meant to address the unprecedented challenge we faced this year from the tanker and trailer crashes,” he stated.

“Since we commenced the operations we have noticed reduction in the number of crashes involving tankers and tankers and cases of improper latching of goods by truck drivers have reduced drastically.

“We would sustain the efforts and ensure that sanity is restored to the roads through the campaign against speed violation, overloading as well as training and retraining of the drivers,” he added.

Also speaking at the occasion, Mr Obafemi Olawore, the Executive Secretary of Major Marketers Association of

Nigeria, commended the FRSC for the initiative, stressing that it would go a long way in creating awareness on minimum safety standard by tanker drivers and consequent reduction in the carnage involving trucks on the highways. He expressed confidence in the success of the programme and called on the depot owners and facility managers who are yet to harmonise their operations with the operational details of the officers to do so immediately, as that could assist in achieving the desired results

Other stakeholders who spoke at the interactive session equally commended the FRSC for the initiative and pledged their maximum support to making the initiative a success..

Among the participants at the interactive session were representative of the Depot Owners Association of Nigeria; Petroleum Tanker Drivers Division of NUPENG; Marine Transport Owners Association of Nigeria and other safety and depot managers form the various depots and tanker farms in Lagos and environs.