The Federal Road Safety Corps has identified migration patterns as a significant contributor to the persistent problem of mix loading by trailer drivers plying Nigerian roads.

According to the corps, this trend has resulted in numerous fatalities and injuries.

The Corps Public Education Officer, Olusegun Ogungbemide disclosed this during an interview on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Ogungbemide said that the recent surge in migration from the North to the South and vice versa, had led to an increase in the number of people seeking to travel long distances in often unsafe conditions.

He said that the trend of migration, fuelled by various socio-economic factors, created high demand for transportation, leading to an increase in mix loading practices by truck drivers.

He stated, “The incident of mix loading like we call it in FRSC is a situation where trucks meant for goods or animals carry human beings, items and animals at the same time. If you look at the trend, it is this idea of migrating from the North to the Southern part of the country en masse that is really promoting this situation. This trend started about four years ago and we started recording high fatalities as a result of crashes involving mix loaded trucks. This is because the movement of the trucks or particular vehicles always happen during the night and when there are crashes, emergency response and calls become an issue. Also, transporters, seeking to maximise profits, load their vehicles with a combination of human beings, animals, and goods, thereby putting lives at risk. This is a clear violation of existing traffic laws, including the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) and Road Worthiness laws, which prohibit the carriage of human beings in vehicles designed for goods or animals.’’

The FRSC spokesman noted that the trend was not only hazardous but also illegal, and had resulted in a significant number of fatalities and injuries on Nigerian roads.

He cited several instances of mix loading-related crashes, including a recent incident in which more than 50 persons lost their lives.

He said that the FRSC was working tirelessly to address the issue through a combination of enforcement, public education, and community engagement.

“This menace has made the corps to come up with series of interventions to assist in addressing the devastating trend. Some of the interventions include the corps setting up a task force involving the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, police and army to curb the menace. But one thing we have understood is that there is no level of enforcement we put in place that can really assist as long as most of these vehicles move during the night. So, the emphasis now is to adopt the idea of town hall meetings and public education. nAnd that is taking the information to the grass-roots and getting the traditional rulers as well as other stakeholders involved. This is to enable them to know the implications of being loaded along with goods and animals.’’

Speaking further, Mr Ogungbemide said that there were standing rules embedded in the NRTR and Road Worthiness laws.

According to him, some of the rules include Regulation 95 NRTR 2012 (as amended), which states that no person other than the driver or two other persons, who shall be seated in the driver’s cabin may be carried on any goods carrying vehicle. No other person shall be carried on the goods compartment on any goods carrying vehicle.’’

Mr Ogungbemide, called on transporters to adhere to safety regulations and avoid practising mix loading.

He urged the public to be aware of the risks associated with mix loading and to report any instances of the practice to the authorities.

He added that the corps was committed to reducing the cases of mix loading-related crashes on Nigerian roads and ensuring the safety of all road users.

(NAN)