FRSC To Bar Articulated Vehicles From Climbing Lagos Bridges

FRSC vehicles on patrol used to illustrate the story

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said that the corps were doing all it can, including placing bars on bridges to discourage the indiscriminate parking of tankers and articulated vehicles on some bridges in Lagos State.

The FRSC Lagos State Sector Commander, Mr Hyginus Omeje, made this known during an interview with newsmen in Lagos on Monday.

According to Omeje, a committee had been setup to come up with ways owners of trucks and tankers could do their business without climbing bridges in the state.

“We are working on how truck drivers can use the ground instead of climbing bridges in Lagos State to prevent accidents and gridlock.

“It has been proposed by the government that we can bar the bridges to prevent accidents and indiscriminate parking of trucks and tankers on the bridges,’’ he said.

He stated that gridlock and crashes involving cars and articulated vehicles especially the over-aged ones would be reduced if their are bars at the entrance of bridges.

The FRSC boss said that many of the tankers and trucks had been on the road for more than 25 years, saying that some of the vehicles could not withstand the load placed on them.

“Many of them break down on top of the bridges and cause traffic jam.

‘’Many truck and tanker drivers deliberately park on the bridges on their way to Apapa Port and obstruct vehicular movement. All these acts will end soon.

“We are more concerned about the menace of gridlock on roads leading to Apapa Port.

“The state government inaugurated the task force to ensure that the trucks are streamlined to allow free flow of traffic along the corridor,’’ Omeje said.

He added that traffic jams instigated by trucks and articulated vehicles on bridges in Lagos were hazardous and had damaging effects.

“We are sitting on a keg of gunpowder because the bridges are weak as tankers, trucks and articulated vehicles are parked on them.

“When these vehicles are stationary on the bridges for a long time, they have negative impact, including deterioration, bridge-fatigue, damage or even collapse.

“The Ijora, Eko, Carter and Third Mainland bridges were expensive projects that cost huge capital to execute,’’ Omeje said.

Naija News recalls that the Lagos State government have ordered that articulated vehicles coming into the country must ensure the Ministry of Transportation’s Road Worthiness Certificate at any of the designated centres within 30 days.

The recent policy was necessitated by the recent tragic tanker explosion on Otedola Bridge inward Ojodu Berger along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway that claimed the lives of at-least nine people and ravaged about 54 vehicles.

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