The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kwara Command, has warned drivers against overloading vehicles with passengers and goods to prevent accidents on Nigerian roads.
By Mujidat Oyewole
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kwara Command, has warned drivers against overloading vehicles with passengers and goods to prevent accidents on Nigerian roads.
The state Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr Muftau Irekeola, gave the warning on Monday in Ilorin during a stakeholders meeting with transport unions.
“As the corps round up the ember months special patrol (Operation Zero Tolerance for Road Traffic Crash) scheduled from Dec.15 to Jan.15, there was need for more sensitisation,
“The corps discovered that most accidents are caused by negligence and attitude of human beings. Accidents are as a result of unforeseen circumstances and things that can be prevented.
“I call on drivers to mind their attitude, stop overloading and be careful on the road to prevent accidents,” Irekeola said.
Mrs Tolulope Oniyide, Secretary, Association of Female Lawyers, Kwara Branch, said that ignorance of the law was not an excuse, if any driver was caught violating the rules.
She added that overloading passengers in vehicles was against the law and should be stopped.
According to her, the law states that anyone found overloading passengers and load will pay a fine and the excess load seized.
“I have seen passengers packed in vehicle trunks who stretched their legs outside. As a result of the number of people, the lid of the trunk could not close.
“If an accident occurs in such a circumstance, there would be a lot of injuries, loss of body parts and it may even result to death,” she said.
The law expert, therefore, called on drivers to obey the law, avoid overloading of goods and human beings to prevent accident and loss of lives.
Alhaja Aminat Yakub, a representative of Kwara Ministry of Works and Transport, warned the transporters at the markets within the state to drive carefully and stop overloading passengers and goods to prevent accidents.
“You know that the ministry approved the movement of goods and passengers from and to the markets, so there is need to be cautious and avoid breaking the law,” she said.
Responding, representatives of the transport unions thanked the government, promised to speak with their drivers and assured that there would be changes. (NAN)
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