FRSC begins training of NUPENG workers on safety

Daniels Ekugo

Following the recent recurrence of road traffic crashes across Nigeria, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has met with the petroleum tanker drivers’ unit of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers, PTD-NUPENG, in a bid to engage them in training.

With this cooperation, the tanker drivers are expected to get a valid certification after the training exercise in 12 locations across the country.

According to FRSC’s Head of Media Relations and Strategy, Commander Bisi Kazeem, “the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the FRSC has directed that the training programme becomes an annual exercise where intensive road use education will be taught as well as registration of new and young tanker drivers’ personal details and biometrics undertaken.”

Kazeem further revealed that other issues were carefully considered for the planned programme of action.

The include: registration of driver details and their tankers, medical tests of various kinds, production of safety stickers (to be affixed to the tankers of the trained drivers) and use of driver’s licence as a form of identification before training commences.

He also said the units and zones where the tanker drivers operate would also help in the process of creating and maintaining a reliable database.

The programme which is tagged: ‘Annual Tanker/Trailer Drivers’ Certification’ is scheduled to commence on 5 August, 2015 at the Orile area of Lagos State.

Drivers in Oghere (Lagos State) would have theirs on 6 August, 2015; those in Eiye-Nkorin (Kwara State) would have theirs on 7 August, 2015; Suleja and Taffa (Niger State) would have theirs on 8 August 2015; Mararaba-Jos would hold theirs on 10 August 2015.

Also Port Harcourt Refinery (River State) would have theirs on 12 August 2015; Lobanta would hold theirs on 13 August 2015; Calabar (Cross River State), 14 August 2015; Oghara and Warri (Delta State), 17 and 18 August 2015; and Benin (Edo State), 19 August 2015.

Kazeem said at least 75 percent of tanker drivers would be trained and captured during the training, not excluding the motor boys of such drivers.

The FRSC said the certification programme, which is aimed at orienting and reorienting drivers and their motor boys, as well as educating and re-educating them on the use of road, is a significant measure taken to complement its enforcement programme, in-order to drastically reduce road traffic crashes in Nigeria.