The federal government has announced that the planned ban on 60,000-capacity fuel trucks would now commence in September.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority rescinded its ban on 60,000-litre fuel tankers from operating on Nigerian roads, which was slated to take effect on March 1, 2025.
Addressing fuel tankers yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer, NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed highlighted the associated risks of operating heavy-duty petroleum tankers, saying the reduction to 45,000-trucks is aimed at mitigating truck-in-transit incidents, some of which had resulted in infernos and several deaths.
“Basically, there are checklists that every tanker should follow, and should make sure that it’s checked out from the point of loading. And these are safety features that cut across both the roadworthiness of the truck, the driver, and other features within the truck. Then the second one, which we started from the first of March, is to actually limit the capacity of the truck to 60,000.
“So the final destination is actually 45,000. But we consulted with all the stakeholders, and there’s unanimous agreement on that. We start with 60,000 now and by Q4 this year, 2025, we get to that target of 45,000,” he said.
The CEO, represented by Dr. Mustapha Lamorde, the Director of Health, Safety, Environment, and Community, NMDPRA, stressed that the decision to reduce the truck capacity was part of the resolutions of the Technical Working Group (TWC), which comprised 13 industry stakeholders.
He said any truck driver that defaults the guidelines on safety provided by the TWG would face the wrath as stated in the rules.
“There are guidelines to make sure that we operate in a very safe, efficient and effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable manner.
“And any violation or non-compliance with these guidelines comes with certain consequences. And those consequences are well-gazetted within our regulations,” he said.
Hyginus Omeje, the Assistant Corps Commander, Operations of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Abuja, identified reckless speed and the influence of alcohol as the root cause of road accidents.
He advised the leadership of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to install speed limit devices, urging truck drivers to exercise patience while driving.
“The best driver is not one that can drive with one hand, but one that can drive from point A to B without an accident. You must be a defensive driver.
“We have researched that 80 per cent of road accidents lie in human error,” he said.
The National Operational Coordinator, NARTO, Dr. Ibrahim Bataya, urged the drivers to prioritise safety, urging them to prevent potential risks of road accidents.