NARTO Decries Deplorable Roads Nationwide

From Saka Bolaji, Minna
National President, NARTO, Alhaji Kassim Ibrahim Bataiya, has decried the deplorable conditions of major roads in Nigeria and urged the federal government to put in place measures for the rehabilitation of the roads in the country.
Bataiya disclosed this at the 2nd Joint State Chairmen and National Executive Council meeting of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) held in Minna.
He said that coupled with the high level of insecurity on the nation’s highways members of the association were now grappling with the seizing of their vehicles at gun point with some drivers losing their lives, a development he said was impairing the distribution of petroleum products across the country.
The NARTO president urged the federal government to make available foreign exchange to its members for the purchase of trucks and spare parts because “the ability of members of the association to continue to buy trucks is seriously threatened by high foreign exchange.”
Meanwhile, The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has maintained that there is no going back on the October 1 deadline for commercial and heavy-duty vehicles to commence the installation of speed limiters on their vehicles.
Corps Commander and Chief Executive of the FRSC, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, who insisted that the FRSC nationwide would commence the enforcement of the policy from the said date as this will reduce accident on Nigerian roads.
Oyeyemi, who was represented by the Niger state Sector Commander, Mrs Sussan Ada Ajenga , said President Muhammadu Buhari had already approved the installation of the speed limiters and asked the FRSC to enforce it as one of the ways of reducing carnage on the roads.
According to the Corps Commander, 60% of crashes on the highways in the country were caused by over-speeding by private and commercial vehicles owners, saying that “this is why we have come out with a policy to reduce death caused by accidents on these roads.”
Oyeyemi said: “we must stop these senseless killings on our roads. Our intention is to make 100km per hour the maximum speed limit on the roads.”
However, the FRSC chief did not say how much it would cost to acquire and install the speed limiters in vehicles. He only assured that the commission would collaborate with stakeholders for the smooth take-off of the scheme.