FRSC Blames Inadequate Database for Poor Road Safety

The Federal Road Safety Commission, (FRSC) have blamed the lack of effective database on road transport operators (RTO), in the country as factor militating against gathering critical information for development in the sector, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can report.

The FRSC established first by a military decree in 1988, and later amended and passed by Act of Parliament in 2007 has the critical mandate prevent accident and loss reduction on all public roads across the country.

Osita Chidioka, Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Commission said in Lagos at the weekend that the Road Safety Corps was now ready to produce a database for all registered transport companies and other fleet operators with at least five vehicles in their fleet.

He noted that more than 75 per cent of haulage business is carried out on land leading to excessive pressure on the poorly maintained network of roads across the country.

Chidioka who spoke on Cargo Safety on Nigerian Roads said an available 2008 archival database shows a total 13, 277, 933 vehicles and motorcycles issued with the Vehicles Identification Number (Vin), and a combined total of about 14 million registered vehicles in the country.

The Corps Marshal, who spoke an event organized by Commission in conjunction with Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC), said the gesture will produce required information for effective planning, monitoring, advising and sanction as may be necessary anchored on proper regulating of the activities of their activities.

The database is to be administered by FRSC field commands in each state of the Federation and coordinated by the Corps Transport Standardization Office (ctso) at it headquarters.

“The database is to entrench a culture of safety consciousness in organization and companies with fleet of vehicles, ensure safe and standardized fleet operations for all and check the excesses of transport operators which often lead to loss of lives and property,” said Chidioka.

He acknowledges the propensity of Nigerians to travel at night has given it a new challenge. According to him, although there were fewer accidents at night, their fatality and trauma are more severe.

 “The fatality from a single road crash at night has been known to out strip 10 occurrences at day, because of poor road conditions, unlighted streets, disregard to traffic rules and regulations and poor search and rescue operations,” said Chidioka.