The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NARTO

  • FG to remove dangerous speed bumps on highways

    FG to remove dangerous speed bumps on highways

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation ( SGF ) says the Federal Government( FG ) is working with relevant agencies to remove dangerous speed bumps on the nation’s highways to reduce accidents.

    Mr Babagana Alkali, Director Planning Research and Statistic in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Fedartion ( OSGF ), said this at the Pre-end of the year operation meeting with transport unions organised by Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ) on Thursday in Abuja.

    Alkali said that the Federal Government ( FG ) was working with relevant agencies to remove the speed bumps that were dangerous on the highways in compliance with the recent National Assembly resolution.

    “ Of recent, you have heard the National Assembly resolution that the speed bumps that are dangerous on the roads should be removed because they cause nuisance and road traffic accidents and crashes along the way

    “The federal government is urging that the ones that are not important should be removed and those that are important should be left behind.

    “We will work with the relevant agencies to comply with that, but the work has not started yet, but we are hoping that the agencies are going to comply soon,’’ he said.

    Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal of FRSC, thanked the stakeholders for their continuous cooperation with the corps, over the years, which helped them to record positive results.

    “ I appreciate the support of Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers ( NUPENG ) for the increase in number of drivers who have driver’s licence.

    “ I also appreciate the number of personal attendance of the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers ( NURTW ) at the FRSC fora.

    Mr Kassim Baltaya, Chairman NARTO, commended FRSC for what it had been doing to save the lives of people and their investments.

    “NARTO will continue to partner with the FRSC because reduction of accidents makes our investment secure.

    “FRSC has done wonderfully well but our drivers need more sensitisation and continuous training with the collaboration of other relevant agencies.

    “FRSC in collaboration with Standard Organisation of Nigeria ( SON ) needs to be checking the quality of tyres because some people are importing sub-standard tyre into the country, which endangers our lives.

    “I urge the RTEAN and NURTW to do more in this area and we can partner with both State and Local Governments to achieve it.

    Mr Zabairu Tijani, representative of NUPENG, thanked the corps marshal for uniting all the stakeholders in the transport sector to work together, saying this had helped in reducing accidents and quarrels among them.

    Tijani said that NUPENG had just trained 4,500 drivers to show commitment and support to what the FRSC was doing.

    “Our challenge is bad road, government should always award the road contract to competent contractors to make journeys smooth for both drivers and passengers.

    “We need specific parking spaces for our trailers, if government should allocate parking spaces for us, we will not pack anyhow along the road.

    Stakeholders who attended the meeting were; NUPENG, NURTW, RTEAN, NARTO, SGF,  Department of  State Services (DSS), and representative of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to show their continuous support to FRSC.

    NAN

  • NARTO backs IGP on dismantling of roadblocks

    The National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has backed the removal of all illegal roadblocks and other obstruction directives by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Idris Ibrahim.

    Recently, Mr. Ibrahim ordered the dismantling of all illegal revenue roadblocks on the country’s highways.

    This is one of the resolutions adopted by the association at the end of a one-day meeting of its North-Central zone held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    The communique signed by the NARTO’s zonal chairman, Alhaji Abdulrazak Maaji, said the move was timely and a step in the right direction.

    The association said roadblocks and other obstructions had constituted danger to road users, adding that “it is a direct and major cause of the hike in the prices of foodstuffs in the country”.

    It urged all commissioners of police in the country to implement the IGP directive, as it is in the best interest of the citizens.

    It also called on the Federal Government to hand over the abandoned trailer park on the Ilorin-Ogbomoso Road to the NARTO as part of efforts to avoid the indiscriminate parking of heavy trucks and fuel tankers on the expressway.

    The association spoke of the urgent need to restream the Oke-Oyi, Ilorin depot of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the resumption of petroleum products loading.

  • Two held for ‘attack’ at Tin Can Island

    Two held for ‘attack’ at Tin Can Island

    The police have arrested two men, Ayinde Kasali and Nojeem Adunfe, for allegedly being part of a gang that attacked the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) premises at Tin Can Island last July.

    Kasali and Adunfe, of the Apapa area of Lagos, were apprehended following police investigation into a petition by NARTO alleging that unknown armed men had attempted to sack its members from the land.

    According to the petition dated July 15, NARTO said the land was allocated to it by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in September 2003.

    The suspects were arraigned Monday by the Force Headquarters Annex, Obalende, Lagos before Mrs O. Kusanu.

    They are standing trial on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, armed forcible entry and threat to life.

    Prosecuting Corporal Chinedu Njoku told the court that the offences occurred at Port Novo Creek, Tin Can Island, in early July.

    “The defendants and others at large, while armed with cutlasses, iron rods and other dangerous weapons and in a manner likely to cause breach of peace, forcibly entered land that was in the actual and peaceable possession of NARTO,” Njoku said.

    He alleged that they did so ‘with an intent to commit felony.’

    The offences, he added, contravened Sections 409, 310(f) and 52 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The defendants denied the charge.

    Magistrate Kusanu granted them N50, 000 bail with two sureties in the like sum and adjourned till October 18.

  • Change tyres after 80,000 km of use – FRSC

    Change tyres after 80,000 km of use – FRSC

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has advised motorists to change their tyres after use for 80,000 kilometres and whether it has expired or not.

    The FRSC Unit Commander in Suleja, Niger, Assistant Corps Commander Olayinka Akande, gave the advice on Friday during “Operation Know Your Tyre” campaign in Suleja.

    He said the corps had identified tyre- related challenges as major factor in traffic accidents, adding that knowledge would reduce carnage on the roads.

    “Records of road traffic crashes in recent times showed that majority of fatal and serious crashes were the result of tyre bursts.

    “We target the various associations like the NURTW, NARTO, RTEAN, tyre dealers, vulcanisers and motorcycle riders to enlighten them on important features on tyres, expiry date and inflating tyres”, he said.

    Alhaji Diko Kassim, Chairman of Suleja Local Government Area, said the administration would set up a committee to address the various traffic obstructions in the town.

    “A committee will soon be set up to look at the traffic challenges in the town towards addressing them. It will include stakeholders in the transport sector.

    “The committee will proffer solution to decongest motor parks and provide sanity in traffic system”, he said.

    Mr Benjamin Omo, tyre seller, told NAN that the campaign was worthwhile because most sellers do not have the technical knowledge of tyres.

    “We just buy and sell tyres for business sake. The moment it’s new, we take it as good and fit. But this lecture has enlightened us a great deal to know the kind of tyre we sell,” he said.

     

  • Fuel scarcity: Kogi transporters prohibit fare hike

    The prevailing fuel scarcity across the nation notwithstanding, the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Kogi State chapter, has warned members not to bring further hardship on the people of the state by hiking transportation fare.

    Speaking Monday at Obajana, Chairman of the association in the state, Alhaji Audu Nabadua said that the association will not allow commercial vehicles to increase transportation fare despite the scarcity and hike in the price of fuel.

    He said the association haven considered the current economic hardship in the country, “NARTO has no option than to maintain the status quo in the interest of the citizenry.”

    He pointed out that the only way to give back to the society was to complement government effort, maintaining that NARTO can never add to the suffering of the people through increment in the transportation fare from Kogi State to other parts of the country.

    According to him: “Despite the high price of fuel, the association will not increase transportation fare paid to different parts of the country. It is not in our character to add to the suffering of our people”.

    Nabadua reinstated his vision to transform the association to greater heights noting that the welfare of members is one of his major priority.

    He called on members to shun vices that may tarnish the image of the association, warning that his tenure will not condone indiscipline among members.

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the association, Comrade Habeeb Kareem called for the cooperation and support of newsmen in Kogi State at all times.

     

  • NARTO calls for to end fuel crisis

    The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has called on the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to find lasting solutions to fuel scarcity.

    In a communiqué issued at the end of its 16th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Abuja, on Monday, NARTO noted that fuel scarcity has continued to inflict increasing hardship on Nigerians.

    In the communiqué signed by its National President, Alhaji (Dr) Kassim Ibrahim Bataiya, NARTO also said the masses had been forced to spend so much on commercial transport due to the sudden hike in transport fares due to the scarcity.

    As a way out of the problem, NARTO called on the NNPC and one of its subsidiaries, the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), to ensure the speedy repair of pipelines across the country for easy lifting of petroleum products to the nook and crannies of the nation.

    NARTO also urged the Federal Government to put in motion necessary machineries that will ensure that refineries resumed production to enhance local refining to solve the problem associated with importation of refined products, including the subsidy issue.

     

  • NARTO, PTD ask members out of Lagos roads

    NARTO, PTD ask members out of Lagos roads

    the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association (PTDA) have asked all their members to immediately comply with the directive by the Lagos state government to vacate Lagos roads until petroleum products are available in the state.

    The Lagos state government had asked all tanker owners and drivers to remove their vehicles from the roads in the state as part of efforts to decongest the roads taken over by trucks waiting to lift fuel.

    Addressing a joint news conference in Abuja, National President of NARTO, Alhaji Kassim Bataiya and his PTD counterpart, Chief Salimon Oladiti, said the organisations were working with government to ensure sanity on Lagos roads.

    They said that while most depots in Lagos do not have fuel, it was unfortunate that tankers that have managed to lift from the six depots are not able to leave Lagos because of traffic gridlock.

    According to them: “As you are aware, for close to a month now, the nation has been hit by serious petroleum product shortages arising from the inability of NNPC and major oil marketers to ensure adequate supply of the product to the market. As Nigerians, we regret that this situation still persists.

    “We saw and heard from the electronic media that NNPC has pumped 1.2billions litres of petrol into the market but only six depots out of 54 loading depots facilities have petrol in the Lagos area.

    “We therefore concede to Lagos State Government the right to take any action they deem fit to restore public order and ensure environmental safety.

    “We are worried that even the loaded trucks cannot move out of Lagos due to traffic gridlock.

     

     

    “The implication is that the vacation order to the truck owners/drivers will have devastating effect to the nation’s economy.

    “However, as law abiding organizations, we call on all our members (owners/drivers) to comply with the vacation orders while the two organisations are working with government and other key stakeholders to ensure free flow of traffic within Lagos and its environment.

    “We urge our members to painstakingly absolve the bitter pill cause by this directive.”

     

  • IPMAN, NARTO blame petroleum equalization fund for increase in pump price

    IPMAN, NARTO blame petroleum equalization fund for increase in pump price

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) and National Association of Road Transport Owners(NARTO) has attributed the current increase in petrol pump price being experienced at filling stations across the country, especially in the northern part of the country, to the pay cut from N5,018,000 to N3,088,000 by the Petroleum Equalization Agency.

    The North West Zonal Vice Chairman who is also the State Chairman of IPMAN Alh. Mohammadu Dan Tila Jega, made this known in Birnin Kebbi while fielding questions from newsmen in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.

    The IPMAN Chairman explained that the petroleum Equalization Fund, an agency responsible for handling payment of transporting fuel products across the country, decided to cut the payment without giving any logical explanation to IPMAN members which, according to him, has forced their members to also increase their fares in order to make up for the loss.

    He appealed to the concerned authorities to, as a matter of urgency, address the imbalance of payment so as to stabilise the fuel rate and save the common man from facing hardship and their members from what he described as unwarranted loss.

    Also in his reaction to the issue, the Secretary of National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Umar Mohammed Gulumbe, said that the disparity or imbalance of payment from the petroleum Equalization Agency had forced some transport owners to either suspend or abandon the business because of the huge gap in payment.

    ‘’The unfortunate situation has forced some of our members to have a second thought about the business of transporting fuel across the country because we are running at a loss if we continue to receive N3,088,000 instead of the agreed N5,018,000. So you can see the disparity between what we are supposed to collect as agreed between us and what they have resorted to paying us now,‘’ he said.

  • Tipper drivers cause stir at Alausa

    Tipper drivers yesterday stormed the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, to protest the granting of provisional approval for tipper quarry operations in the state to the Union of Tipper and Quarry Employers of Nigeria (UTQEN) by the Ministry of Transport.

    The drivers are members of the Lagos/Ogun Tipper Workers Welfare Association of Nigeria (LOTWWAN); Allied Trucks Transporters Association of Nigeria (ATTAN); National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO); and the First Nigeria Tipper, Lorry and Driver Association of Nigeria (FIRST NIGERIA) .

    They carried placards with inscriptions, such as: “We don’t want 2 be part of UTQEN”; “Your Excellency, we want peace in Lagos and Nigeria”; “BRF we need justice” and “Gov. Fashola, please come to our aid”.

    In a letter to the governor, the unions said: “The Ministry of Transport, by the act, has generated a situation which can only breach peace and security in the state. Members of UTQEN have since employed the services of thugs to disturb the operations of our clients. The thugs beat up our clients and damage their vehicles because of their refusal to pay revenue to them.

    “We urge Your Excellency to direct the Transport Ministry to cancel the provisional approval issued to UTQEN on July 18. We reaffirm our support for your style of governance and trust your ability to quickly nip in the bud the present crisis before it escalates.”

    The drivers dropped the letter at the Governor’s Office when they learnt that the governor was not around.