The Lagos State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Hyginus Omeje, has said the decision to keep articulated vehicles off Lagos roads on February 1, 2, 8 and 9, 2019, was reached at the end of meeting of heads of security and traffic management agencies in the state.
The restriction followed the planned hosting of the 2019 Access Bank International Marathon in Lagos on Friday and Saturday.
In a statement on Wednesday, FRSC said, “the Federal Road Safety Corps wishes to inform the motoring public that there will be restrictions of movement for trailers, tankers and other articulated vehicles into Lagos State on the following days: Feb.1, Feb. 2, Feb. 8 and Feb. 9.
“This decision is in the general interest of the motoring public and also targeted at ensuring free flow of traffic and to forestall security breaches on the highways and other roads on the stated days,” Omeje said.
This is coming as the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) and National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (NUPENG), said they were not carried along by Lagos State government and FRSC.
The President of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbe, and the South-West Zonal Chairman of NUPENG, Mr. Tayo Aboyeji, in Lagos said FRSC had on Wednesday placed a movement restriction on articulated vehicles for Feb.1, Feb. 2, Feb. 8 and Feb. 9.
In his reaction, Ogungbe said the association was not carried along in the restriction decision.
“If it is for the marathon race, the association will see what we can do because it is of national interest. Although I was not aware of this restriction before now, we know how to get our members to comply with this short notice,” he said.
Also reacting, Aboyeji, the South-West Zonal Chairman of NUPENG, said the union was also not aware of the restriction decision. He said that other members like Petroleum Tanker Drivers were not also aware of the proposed restriction of movement.
According to him, “we learnt of the marathon race through the media, but not the restriction of movements for members of our union. If we were involved in the meeting, we would have suggested alternative routes as the race is not going to be all over the metropolis.
“Our restriction to Lagos for two days will send wrong signal to Nigeria that the tanker drivers are on strike again. But if we were duly informed, we would have known how to manage the situation.
“Many tankers come into Lagos daily from all over the nation. How do we stop them from entering since they were not informed?” NUPENG leader querried.