FRSC to seal off transport firms over breach of COVID-19 protocols

*Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps says it will start clampdown on transport fleet operators who disregard approved COVID-19 prevention protocols in their operations across Anambra State

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

As part of the necessary precautionary measures to combat the scourge of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said henceforth, it will begin to clamp down on transport fleet operators who disregard the approved COVID-19 prevention protocols in their operations across Anambra State of Nigeria.

The FRSC stressed the need for placement of hand washing facilities and hand-sanitisers at strategic points in all the bus terminals, motor parks, and other areas, including the observance of physical distancing and wearing of nose masks among commuters as essential precautionary measures to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.

Commuters at a luxury bus terminal    Photo: PMNewsNigeria

Mr. Andrew Ayodele Kumapayi, Sector Commander of the Corps, Anambra State Command Headquarters, in Awka, the state capital, stated that FRSC has the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari to enforce the Executive Order strict compliance with COVID-19 protocols among the fleet operators in particular and motoring public in general.

Kumapayi said: “For those that didn’t adhere strictly to the COVID-19 protocols especially as it concerns sitting arrangements will be brought to book.

“We also have officers who go on inspections to the terminals to ensure that fleet operators complied with the COVID-19 protocols.

“We are mandated by the law to ensure that every fleet operator complies with the COVID-19 protocols and where they don’t comply, we are at liberty to seal off the place until they comply with the required guidelines for COVID-19 prevention.”

The regulations President Buhari signed on COVID-19 prevention indicates that one of the agencies saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the COVID-19 prevention protocols is the Federal Road Safety Corps, said he.

The Anambra State FRSC Sector Commander noted that fleet operators are under their purview and they supervise their operations in line with the Road Transport Safety Standardization Scheme (RTSSS).

According to him, the Federal Road Safety Corps has zero tolerance to bribery and corruption, and the Corps also partners with other agencies, such as the ICPC, DSS among others to flush out bad eggs bringing the name of the Corps into disrepute.

Kumapayi also told our correspondent that the corps has commenced impoundment of rickety and mechanically deficient vehicles on the roads.

The Corps has been mandated to ensure that no rickety vehicle plies the highways, and this will be a continuous enforcement, Kumapayi stated.

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