In its determination to provide safe road environment for its customers, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has signed a Memoriam of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on the enforcement of minimum safety standards in vehicles that operate to and from the ports.
Speaking at the signing ceremony held at the Ports Authority Headquarters Lagos on Wednesday, the Managing Director, Mrs Hadiza Bala Usman stated that the synergy between the Authority and the FRSC was anchored on the need to protect lives and property of port stakeholders accessing its services in the face of threats by vehicles operating there without meeting minimum safety standards.
In a press release by Bisi Kazeem, Head Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, the MD said the goals, would hopefully be achieved through the platform of Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS) which FRSC launched some years back to create orderliness in trucks and fleet operations.
Usman further stated that NPA launched an enforcement campaign for safety and minimum standards of trucks operating in ports within Lagos area, adding that it was in the effort to further upgrade and improve on the successes recorded that it adopted the FRSC’s Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS) .
“It is in view of this that we are gathered here today to synergise with the FRSC by signing this MOU between the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Federal Road Safety Corps,” she stated.
In his remarks, the Corps Marshal of FRSC, Dr Boboye Otetemi while commending the Managing Director for the enthusiasm she has shown towards safety and security of port operators noted that her commitment is evidenced by her zeal to get the memorandum of understanding between the NPA and the FRSC signed.
He expressed total support for the initiative, describing it as both timely and in line with the vision of safer road environment which the FRSC is pursuing through stakeholders’ collaboration.
Oyeyemi further noted ports facilities are strategic economic infrastructure of the nation which can support development if well harnessed, saying every efforts must be made to ensure that goods and cargoes that pass to and from the facilities are safely conveyed to boost growth and restore public confidence in their usage.