The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said it never banned trucks
belonging to Dangote group from plying the roads at night.
The agency issued a statement on Tuesday after a meeting with
representatives of the group announcing that an agreement which will
restrict the company’s trucks from plying the roads from 7pm to 7am
daily had been reached.
The FRSC said the agreement was reached in order to reduce the rate of
crashes involving articulated vehicles at night.
But in a statement on Wednesday, the corps public education officer,
Bisi Kazeem, said the FRSC has not banned Dangote trucks from night
trips.
“Reports had it that the commission and Dangote Group had agreed that
the company’s trucks will not ply roads at night,” he said.
“FRSC never announced that it will stop Dangote vehicles from plying
roads in the country from 7 p.m to 7 a.m. It was advisory.
“FRSC did not say Dangote vehicles shall be impounded after 7.p.m.
“The commission never said so. We were quoted out of context that we
will impound their vehicles. We usually have safety meetings with
Dangote group and others.
“One of such meetings was held on Tuesday where far reaching decisions
were made and nothing was said that we were going to impound their
vehicles.”
Kazeem said the FRSC does not have the power to impound vehicles at
night, adding that there was no law which says the corps can restrict
the movement of such vehicles.
He said what the corps could do is to only highlight dangers of night journey.
