FRSC Commences Clampdown On Rickety Petrol Tankers In Anambra  

Raymond Ozoji, Awka

Following incessant collapse of petroleum tankers in Anambra state together with its attendant catastrophic consequences, the Federal Road Safety Commission has embarked on clampdown of rickety petrol tankers as panacea to curtail the menace.

Sector commander of the commission in Anambra state, Mr.Andrew Ayodele Kumapayi, stated this during an exclusive interview with our correspondent at the command headquarters Awka, at the weekend.

Kumapayi said that the commission will not fold its arms and watch petrol tanker drivers  cause more havoc in the state, noting that the command has started special operations targetted at reducing the menace of tanker drivers plying on Anambra roads.

The Anambra sector commander further disclosed that a joint task force was in the offing, comprising stakeholders in the transport sector aimed at ensuring compliance to safety standards especially when the tanker drivers are plying Anambra roads and that defaulters would be brought to book.

He also stated that the commission has extended its operations into the nights to be able to track down recalcitrant tanker drivers who hide under the cover of the night to ply the roads with faulty trucks, stressing that the commission will not renege on its enforcement drive until tanker drivers adopted acceptable best practices when using the roads.

Kumapayi recalled that Anambra state had witnessed incessant falls of petrol tankers and other heavy duty trucks in recent times which he said generated a lot of public concern especially as the crashes come with dire consequences.

He therefore attributed petrol tanker failures to human errors associated with fatigue, over-speeding, influence of hard substances and a host of others, stressing that the commission in collaboration with other players in the petroleum industry will henceforth ensure compliance to minimum safety standards for tanker drivers and also ascertain their mental health.

The sector commander said the commission will intensify its sensitisation and public enlightenment campaign to educate tanker drivers as well as the owners of the trucks on the need to imbibe the culture of minimum acceptable standards to curb the disasters caused by the fall of petroleum tankers in the state.