FRSC JTF making progress, impounds 35 trailers conveying 982 people

FRSC JTF making progress, impounds 35 trailers conveying 982 people 

The Inter-agency Joint Task Force recently constituted by the Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps, Dauda Ali Biu, is already making progress as it has apprehended 35 trailers carrying 982 passengers.

A statement by Jonas Agwu, As­sistant Corps Marshal and Corps Pub­lic Education Officer at the FRSC, said that the exercise was in its contin­ued fight against trailer crashes and conveyance of passengers in vehicles meant for goods.

Giving details, it said the special intervention patrol opera­tions arrested 19 trailers with 810 persons on the Abuja-Kaduna Ex­pressway.

The JTF team covering Bauchi-Maiduguri general operation area of the Corps arrest­ed 16 trailers with 172 passengers on that route.

It explained that the arrests were made within the within one week of the JTF inauguration, beginning from 23 to 30 March, 2024 of its operations on the identified routes.

The statement said, “At the points of arrests, the JTF ensured that all passengers onboard the trailers were dropped, cautioned against the deadly act and asked to join passenger vehicles designed for conveying people.”

Biu also directed Sector Commanders of the states where the act was prominent to sustain the ongoing en­gagement with the leaderships of road transport unions as well as owners of articulated vehicles.

This, he said, was to ensure that drivers engaging in such traffic violations were cautioned.

Biu flagged off the Inter-agency Joint Task Force on March 23, 2024 in Kaduna State, com­prising the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, State Traffic Management Agencies and transport unions.

The statement also read in part: “The mandate of the JTF is to mitigate trailer related crashes and fatalities as well as stop the use of trailers to convey passengers following the spate of a number of avoidable crashes that involved trailers loaded with goods, animals and passengers that led to deaths and injuries.

“Amongst these crashes were those of 04 March, 2024 in Tashan Yari where a trailer loaded with grains and passengers crashed and killed 12 persons.

“Others were those of 18 March, 2024 where a trailer loaded with goods and 172 passengers crashed on the Kaduna-Abuja expressway, killing 10 people; as well as that of Sunday 31 March, 2024 in Obajana which led to the death of 13 people.”