The Federal Government has placed a ban on importation of haulage vehicles that are 10 years and above old from the date of manufacture. The ban is expected to take effect from 1st of January 2020.
Vanguard learnt that the measure was one of the resolutions of the stakeholders’ forum organised by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, for haulage operators following the recent road traffic inferno on Otedola Bridge in Lagos where over many lives and properties were lost.
The communiqué issued at the end of the meeting directed that mandatory certification of all haulage vehicles will now be carried out twice in 12 months. According to the communiqué which was signed by Mustapha, the Federal Government will also work closely with the Bank of Industry (BOI) and other financial institutions towards the establishment of a Fleet Acquisition Renewal Scheme for haulage operators. Other resolution of the meeting was that: “Standard speed limiters must be installed in all haulage vehicles in Nigeria, and that “tankers without safety valves and the required number plates will henceforth be disallowed from loading”.
The meeting also agreed that: Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other relevant agencies should immediately harmonize operating safety requirements at all tank farms”, even as it was agreed that “periodic checks of haulage vehicles must be carried out at relevant loading points”.
The communiqué also stated that, “payment of National Transportation Allowance (NTA) and bridging claims to tanker operators will henceforth be contingent on compliance to minimum safety standards” and that, henceforth “single operators of haulage vehicles must be duly registered with National Association of Road Transport Owners ( NARTO ) and comply with RTSSS provisions”.
