Making this disclosure during a courtesy visit to the Abuja national headquarters of the Corps, the Director-General of SON frowned at the rate at which motorists in the country operate with fairly used tyres even in the face of road safety challenges associated with the use of such tyres. The visit was meant to serve as platform to review the Corps’ partnership with SON on vehicle safety standards in the country.
According to him, “It is worrisome that motorists patronize these products which have not only expired in some cases but also do not conform to minimum safety standards. It is also imperative to note that new tyres are not ruled out from expiration because some tyres may get close to expiry date before being purchased and used by motorists who are ignorant of this”.
He therefore urged the FRSC to expand its operational frontiers to tackle the influx of fairly used tyres into the country as part of measures towards further reduction in road traffic crashes.
Dr Odumodu also commended the FRSC management for remaining committed to its data collation on road traffic crashes, analysis and knowledge sharing with other relevant agencies stressing that this initiative provides a definite guide for the federal government on national planning and other forms of decision making towards national growth.
Responding, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi recalled that the Corps has remained focused in its enforcement strides with emphasis on “tokumbo” tyres and other traffic-related matters which fall short of recommended safety standards, adding that through special intervention patrols, the FRSC does not compromise on its drive to deliver on set goals.
He also suggested for stronger collaboration between the FRSC, National Automotive Council and the Standards Organization of Nigeria in this direction. He also sought for stronger legal frame work to address the influx of right-hand steering vehicles into the country.
The Corps Marshal also commended the SON management for living up to its mandate towards ensuring that items and products which are used in the country, comply with recommended standards and also recalled the role played by SON on the school bus standards and on-going advocacy for speed limiters to be installed on vehicles to further reduce speed-related crashes in the country.
Speaking further, he said that recent findings by the Corps indicate that 250 different brands of tyres are used in the country while some motorists use tyres meant for agricultural purposes on commercial vehicles, thus widening the gap avoidable road traffic crashes.
“ In some cases, you stop a vehicle with 4 different brands of tyre being affixed to the same vehicle and we take extra steps to sensitize such drivers on the traffic hazards associated with this practice but in most cases, we prosecute them in line with provisions of the traffic laws” he said.
Oyeyemi also sought for stronger collaboration among relevant government agencies to restrict the importation of vehicles without speed limiting devices into Nigeria and ensure the implementation of the new car assessment programme and United Nations standards for various categories of vehicle parts in partnership with the National Automotive Council and FRSC.
In a related development, the FRSC Corps Marshal has said that the Corps has an engagement plan in place with major stakeholders in the transport sector such as operators of articulated vehicles, to ensure strict compliance with minimum safety standards.
He was reacting to the recent fatal crash involving a tanker laden with fuel, which rammed into other vehicles along the Awka-Onitsha road due to brake failure and killed 46 persons while 5 others were heavily injured.
While commiserating with bereaved families, the Corps Marshal also said “ we have consistent engagement plan with the NUPENG and NARTO to ensure that their trucks conform with recommended safety standards and also engage the Vehicle Inspection Officers on routine inspection and assessment of the road worthiness of the trucks. We will step up these strategies to ensure total compliance by the fleet operators” he added.
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