In a bid to curb the rising cases of road accidents caused by overloading and night trips, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has issued directives to its Commanding Officers to escalate enforcement efforts nationwide.
The Corps Marshal, Dauda Ali-Biu, emphasized the urgency of the matter following two tragic accidents on Monday resulting in the loss of 17 lives. These incidents occurred at Tashar Yari village along the Zaria-Kano Expressway in Kaduna State, and near the Fire Service Academy along the Yangoji-Gwagwalada Expressway in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
One of the accidents involved a trailer overloaded with grains and carrying 40 passengers atop the goods. The trailer, registered as KTG 454 ZZ, was on a night trip from Azare when it crashed due to reckless driving, including wrong overtaking and surpassing legal speed limits. Tragically, 12 passengers lost their lives, and 28 others sustained various injuries.
In the second incident on the Yangoji-Gwagwalada Expressway, a speeding J5 bus collided with a stationary trailer at approximately 04:35am, resulting in a fiery explosion. Regrettably, five individuals were burnt beyond recognition.
Ali-Biu condemned the alarming frequency of road accidents attributed to night trips, overloading, and blatant disregard for speed limits. To address these issues, the FRSC plans to engage stakeholders in educational campaigns to raise awareness about the inherent dangers of such practices.
The FRSC’s renewed commitment to enforcing road safety regulations underscores its determination to mitigate the loss of lives and property on the nation’s highways.
