Following the recent recurrence of Road Traffic Crashes in the country today, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) recently met with the Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ unit of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (PTD-NUPENG), to obtain the Body’s cooperation for a valuable certification training exercise for the Petroleum Tanker Drivers in 12 locations across the country.
According to Commander Bisi Kazeem, Head of Media Relations and Strategy unit, FRSC, “the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the FRSC has directed that the training Programme of PTD workers 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”.
Commander Bisi Kazeem further revealed that among other issues that were carefully considered for the planned programme of action are: registration of driver details and their tankers, medical tests of varying kinds, production of safety stickers (to be affixed to the tankers of the trained PTD workers), use of Driver’s Licence as a form of identification before training commences, and the Units and Zones where the tanker drivers operate will 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 the 5th of August 2015, at Orile Lagos State.
The itinerary, location and date of the training are: Orile (Lagos State), 5th of August 2015; Oghere (Lagos State), 6th of August 2015; Eiye-nkorin (Kwara State), 7th of August 2015; Suleja and Taffa (Niger State), 8th of August 2015; Mararaba-Jos, 10th of August 2015; Port Harcourt Refinery (River State), 12th of August 2015; Lobanta, 13th of August 2015; Calabar (Cross River State), 14th of August 2015; Oghara and Warri (Delta State), 17th and 18th of August 2015; and Benin (Edo State) 19th of August 2015.
In the light of the above, the Head of Media Relations and Strategy stated that a representative of PTD-NUPENG remarked that at least 75% of tanker drivers will be trained and captured during the training, not excluding the motor boys of such drivers.
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 the Corps has taken to complement its enforcement programme, in-order to drastically reduce Road Traffic Crashes in Nigeria.