Jigawa Govt. inaugurates committee to check overloading, critical traffic offences
NAN-DS-5
Overloading
By Muhammad Nasir Bashir
Dutse, Feb. 22, 2018 (NAN) The Jigawa Government has inaugurated an eight-member committee to check overloading and other critical traffic offences by commercial drivers in the state.
Mr Angus Ibezim, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the state, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Thursday.
Ibezim, who is the secretary of the committee, said the development was sequel to the memorandum earlier submitted by the command on the need for the state government to establish a task force to address the menace of overloading in the state.
The FRSC commandant explained that Gov. Muhammad Badaru has directed the Commissioner for Works and Transport to inaugurate the task force to checkmate traffic offenses.
“Mr Governor has approved the formation of Steering Task Force Committee on overloading and other critical traffic offences in the state,” Ibezim said.
The commandant explained that the committee has the commissioner for Works and Transport as chairman while he remains the secretary.
According to him, other members of the committee are representatives of the state’s Commissioners of Police, Department of State Security (DSS) and Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer (Chief VIO) of the state.
The sector commander said other members included representatives from the state chapters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO).
Ibezim, who applauded the the government for its intervention in addressing the menace of overloading and other traffic offences, noted that road carnage had resulted in high fatalities in various parts of the state.
“The command had put a lot of measures in place to address the ugly practices among commercial drivers through engaging in aggressive public enlightenment programmes via the media, motor parks, mosques, churches and stakeholders meeting.
“We have also enlightened them through intervention by institutions, coupled with subtle and full enforcement of the traffic rules and regulations.
“Therefore, the corps enjoin members of the committee to work as a team in order to bring violation of traffic rules and regulations to an end,” the sector commander said.
According to him, the mandate of the committee is to ensure eradication of overloading in the state, commencing with pilot scheme in five emirate councils of the state.
Ibezim added that the exercise would later be extended to other local government areas of the state with the aid of public enlightenment, advocacy and full enforcement of the traffic law on overloading. (NAN)
MNB/MA/AFA
Edited by Muftau Adediran/Felix Ajide