THE TANKER EXPLOSION AT OTEDOLA BRIDGE: A CLARION CALL TO THE GOVERNMENT

The tragic incident that occurred on Thursday 28th July,2017 will forever be one of the saddest moments in the minds of Lagosians and indeed Nigerians all over the world. The ill-fated fuel tanker which exploded on Otedola Bridge inward Ojodu Berger along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway killing several persons and destroying over Fifty Vehicles, it was indeed a Black Thursday and my condolence goes to the families of those who lost their loved ones. 

I must commend the Lagos State government for showing once again that the state is indeed a model of excellence in governance the speedy response to the emergency situation and the evacuation of victims was “sine qua non” and it helped to reduce the number of casualties.

According to the Police Chief, Mr Edgal (after a Security Council Meeting chaired by the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode), “ Henceforth, we are using this opportunity to call on all tanker drivers, all lorry drivers, all owners of such articulated vehicles to please submit those vehicles for Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) test; they must go through the entire hub and get the Ministry of Transportation (MOT) Certificate of Road Worthiness. We will not allow such vehicles which obviously pose serious danger to other road users on our roads,” Mr Edgal said.

He went further to say that the government had already directed security agencies to intensify enforcement of relevant laws, especially the State Traffic Law, with the view to ensuring that the roads and highways in the state were safe for commuters to ply without any danger.

MY TAKE AND CLARION CALL

It is no longer news that majority of the trucks used to move fuels and other goods are in the terrible state which have raised lot of concerns among road users and transportation experts. The trucks are mostly rickety, wobbly, and in a the state of total disrepair. It is fair to say that over 65 per cent of these Heavy Duty Trucks would and cannot pass any criterion of road-worthiness. Most of these trucks were manufactured in the late 70s and early 80s however due to the economic situation in the country majority of the truck owners cannot replace them with modern types. Truck owners who intend to replace some also consider the technical know-how of the mechanics that will repair the vehicle once they breakdown hence had to go back to buying the old model trucks that has outlived its essence.

Corruption in the Nigerian system is also a factor that has brought us to this sorry state. It is pathetic that after independence since 1960 we have failed to build and operate a standard railway transportation whose primary responsibility is to cargo fuel and other dangerous substance via the rail roads when Japan has just recently lunched an electric train that can move at the speed of 300mph. As if our poor state of infrastructure is not enough, we also experience Pipeline Vandalism by Nigerians for the sake of God knows what! These modes are suppose to primarily move wet cargo (i.e liquid products).

As for the truck drivers “they operate without any form of regulations, supervision and sanctions. Observations revealed that quite a number of the trucks do not have functional lamps, brake system and even registration number plates. It is a common sight to see the drivers’ assistants armed with wooden wedges that are used to jolt them to a halt, especially when caught up in traffic snarl on steep terrains due to their mechanical deficiencies” reported by an online news media. Truck drivers flaunt larger-than-life aura on the road. They bully smaller vehicles for right of way. The state of mental well-being of some of them is also questionable as they do not undergo psychiatric evaluation to ascertain their state of mental health and alertness given the enormity of the risks associated with their job. Their stock-in-trade includes excessive speeding, drug and substance abuse, poor knowledge of road signs and regulations, over-loading and dangerous driving. Their visual acuity is also questionable. No sane society will tolerate this state of anomie on their roads.

WAY FORWARD 

Firstly, the Federal government should start to build and upgrade all railway lines across the country (as a medium to long term plan) so as to revamp the rail transportation system. I am aware the present government have started some rail projects, I am also delighted that the Minister of Transportation has directed that the present Lagos-Ibadan railway project under-construction should to extended to Apapa from the Ebute-Meta Train terminal considering the Apapa is the major port in Nigeria accounting for over 90% of the imports. However, it is also important that the railway network be integrated to every part of the country so as to ensure a seamless movement of petroleum products once operation starts thereby reducing the usage of tankers on our roads. Pipeline Vandalism should be stopped through dialogue and persuasion and more should be built (most especially in the coastal areas) where it may be difficult to transport these products. 

Secondly, The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), The State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) and the statutory bodies charged with the responsibility of ensuring safety and orderliness on our roads across the country should ensure that ALL Heavy Duty Trucks are “Road Worthy”, it is more than just issuing a certificate, the vehicle needs to be checked occasionally just to be certain that it is SAFE for our roads. By Road Worthiness, it also means that the goods that are carried by these vehicles are checked in terms of their tonnage and packaging and that they meet global safety standards.  

Thirdly, it is important to enforce the movement of these vehicle during mid-night periods when smaller vehicles will be minimal on the road. These can be achieved by liaising with the major companies and stakeholders on whose behalf these vehicles operate. If the enforcement have being followed to the later, this tragic incident if at all happened will be very minimal. 

Finally, Advocacy is key. We should keep on informing the road users on the need to keep their vehicles in a “road worthy” state, awareness on the role of alcohol in-take before driving should be emphasized and other safety tips. It is important to know that over 80% of all accident is caused by human error.