OGUN State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Adegoke Adetunji has appealed to Governor Ibikunle Amosun to assist in evacuating beggars off the Sango-Ota Bridge.
No fewer than 100 beggars, he said, besieged the bridge daily, hindering the flow of traffic.
Adegoke said this is against the traffic regulations.
He spoke at the yearly campaign/enlightenment organised by Ota Unit Command in conjunction with Shell Nigeria Gas Limited for road users at the Sango Main Park.
Adetunji was answering questions on the accident on the bridge that killed three and a similar mishap on Benin/Sagamu Expressway in which 13 Olabisi Onabanjo University students died.
The Sango crash, he said, was caused by a Scania Truck with registration number TTD 219 XA which rammed into some commercial vehicles which have turned the bridge into a garage.
The FRSC chief said the fatality could have been more, if the vehicle had run into the beggars on the bridge.
He also appealed Amosun to relocate hawkers on the expressway and all roads in the state, saying this would enhance free flow of traffic and enable haulage vehicles to manoeuvre in case of brake failure.
He said: “75 per cent of the expressway starting from toll gate to Sango has been occupied by traders. This is dangerous and worrisome should accident occur.”
Adetunji urged tipper owners and Independent Petroleum Marketers to stop using underage drivers and ensure that their vehicles are in good shape before embarking on a journey.
The FRSC, he said, is partnering with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) across all the states, to regulate the trucks that would be used for haulage and ensure that rickety ones are taken off the roads.
Any haulage truck that doesn’t meet the required standard will not be allowed to move on the road, while any under-age driver would be arrested and prosecuted, Adetunji said.
Adetunji enjoined all tipper/truck owners to ensure that speed limiters are installed in their vehicles before the September deadline.
Any commercial vehicle caught without the device after the deadline, he said, would be impounded and the driver prosecuted.
Adegoke said two drivers must henceforth accompany trucks embarking on a long journey.
This, he said, would guarantee that no driver drives more than the normal four hours at a stretch and observe at least 30 minutes rest.
The Ota Unit Commander, Mr Matthew Olonisaye, urged vehicle owners and other road users to respect traffic laws, especially during raining season.
According to Olonisaye, the public enlightenment is imperative because the Corps is saddled with the responsibility of creating a safer motoring environment through sensitisation, education, regulation and enforcement of traffic laws.
He appealed to motorists to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition before going on a journey to avoid endangering other road users.
He urged vehicle owners to ensure they use good tyres.
Tyres, according to him, come with expiry dates, once a tyre begins to wear-out, it becomes more likely to be slippery on a wet road and this can lead to accident.
Tyres, Olonisaye said have four years life span and the expiration starts from the manufacturing date e.g.”4002″. The first two numbers “40”, he said, represents the year of manufacture.
He urged the vehicles owners to note the manufacturing and expiring dates while buying tyres, and warned against the use of fairly used tyres.
Olonisaye urged drivers to ensure greatest caution when driving in rain or at night. Windshield, wipers, pointers, headlights and rear lights must be working perfectly. He reiterated that eyes, hands and brains must be in good shape, adding that compliance to speed limits is required.
He appealed to all drivers to ensure the use of seatbelts and avoid drunk driving and overloading.
Commercial drivers are enjoined to comply strictly with the use of passengers’ manifest for the identification of all passengers in case of accidents.
The Chairman, Ado/Odo-Ota Local Government, Mr Rotimi Abdulrahman, urged the drivers to be defensive drivers.
