Stakeholders in Nigeria’s transport sector have called for stronger enforcement of road safety regulations and joint liability for truck owners, cargo owners and drivers as part of efforts to curb overloading and unsafe loading practices. The call was made at the National Breakfast Policy Dialogue and launch of the National Movement for Safe Loading and Safe Roads, organised by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in partnership with BusinessDay Media Limited.
Shehu Mohammed, Corps Marshal of the FRSC, said overloading should no longer be treated solely as a traffic offence, noting its implications for road safety, infrastructure and the wider economy. He said responsibility for unsafe loading must extend across the transportation value chain to cargo owners, shippers, loading agents, transporters, fleet operators, drivers, regulators and government. “Those who order, determine, load, authorise and transport cargo must accept responsibility for its safety consequences,” Mohammed said.
According to him, cargo owners and shippers must accurately declare weights and ensure safe loading, while operators should comply with approved weight limits and maintain their vehicles. Drivers, he said, should also refuse unsafe, improperly mixed or inadequately secured loads. The Corps Marshal said overloading compromises braking, steering and vehicle stability, increases crash risks and accelerates the deterioration of vehicles and roads.
He also raised concerns over mixed loading, particularly the combination of passengers and cargo, incompatible materials and poorly secured or unevenly distributed loads. “The inappropriate combination of passengers and cargo, incompatible or dangerous materials, as well as poorly secured or unevenly distributed loads, creates serious risks to drivers, passengers and other road users,” he said.
Adetokunbo Ade-John, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Transportation and Mobility, called for greater public awareness and stronger enforcement of road safety regulations.