The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has begun sensitising stakeholders and engaging them to mitigate road traffic crashes, fatalities, and fire outbreaks caused by trailers conveying human beings.

FRSC spokesman Jonas Agwu disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

He said patrol operatives aimed to arrest passenger vehicles carrying kegs with petroleum products and other flammable substances.

Several crashes involving trailers and commercial buses resulted in fire outbreaks that led to the death of many commuters. A major fire-related crash claimed 19 lives on April 28 at Okene bypass on the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi.

Also, on April 30, 16 passengers were burnt to death after an 18-seater commercial bus crashed and burst into flames in Enugu.

According to the statement, Corps Marshal Dauda Ali-Biu directed all commanding officers to commence public education at all trailer parks, loading bays and transit camps nationwide.

Mr Ali-Biu said the advocacy entailed meeting the drivers, transport union leadership, and articulated vehicle owners. It also included visits to bus terminals and engagement with opinion leaders, youths, market men and women, traditional rulers, and religious leaders.

“The essence is to appeal to the conscience of drivers against recklessness on the roads, overloading, use of trailers to convey passengers, and, of course, carrying kegs of petroleum products in buses.

“The sensitisation and stakeholders engagement campaign is already in top gear in Kano, Kaduna and Bauchi States where those traffic vices and resultant crashes are more prevalent. Expectedly, other states – Taraba, Imo, Enugu, Rivers, Benue, Borno, Katsina and the rest – are also engaging the stakeholders on all fronts,” he said.

Mr Ali-Biu also directed that patrol operatives be vigilant and check commercial buses to ensure they do not carry inflammable substances like petroleum products in their vehicles.

He said this was necessary to mitigate fire outbreaks in the event of a crash. 

(NAN)