NARTO Blames Accidents On Bad Roads

The National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), has  attributed 70 per cent of accidents involving tanker drivers in Nigeria to bad roads.

The Executive Secretary of NARTO,  Mr Emmanuel Gowon, told our correspondent  in Lagos, that not all accidents involving tankers were caused by inexperienced driving or age of the driver.

“I am not trying to exonerate tanker drivers from mistakes leading to accident.

“But if majority of accidents that occur on Nigerian roads are investigated, you will discover that the spots of the accidents are bad.

“The state of the roads is very bad in addition to insecurity.

“Failed portions on the roads have contributed to about 70 per cent of accidents involving tankers in parts of the country,’’ Gowon said.

He said that a tanker costs about N30 million, adding that no employer would spend such an amount and hire inexperienced driver to operate it.

“If an accident occurs and the tanker is burnt, the owner of the truck has lost millions and if the driver dies, as a result of the accident, it is double trouble.

“No tanker owner will want to hire a driver that is not experienced.”

In another interview,  the Secretary of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Mr Abdulahi Darga said that the association had no power to control the employment of tanker drivers.

“We only register them as members of our association once we are satisfied with their employment status,’’ he said.

Darga noted that no employer would employ an inexperienced driver because of the risk involved.

He assured that the association would collaborate with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to ensure that tanker drivers were properly trained and educated on road safety.

Also speaking former Secretary of NARTO, Mr Enoch Kanawa, advised that tanker drivers should be subjected to psychological, character, aptitude test and qualitative analysis before employment.