The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has hailed Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) for adopting and implementing safety standards in the Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS) in the company’s operations.
Corps Marshal Dauda Biu gave the commendation when a team from the Dangote Cement Plc, transport division, visited him recently in Abuja.
Mr Biu said the significant reduction in crashes was made possible through the collaboration with his agency and the implementation of some mutually agreed safety standards by the company. The Dangote team was led by the divisional director of transport, Ajay Singh.
The commendation is an outcome of several strategies executed by the company to ensure Dangote truck drivers adhere strictly to safety standards as prescribed by the FRSC across the country.
The FRSC boss said: “Notable among this is the reduction of road traffic crashes involving Dangote Transport Trucks through the implementation of minimum safety standards in the Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS).”
According to Biu, in order to effectively achieve this success, the FRSC collaborated with the technical committee comprising the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), and the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) on speed limiting device implementation in Nigeria.
He said the establishment of an outpost at Dangote Cement Plant Obajana has contributed tremendously to the reduction of road traffic crashes along the ever-busy Obajana-Kabba road in Kogi State.
Other areas of collaboration with the company, he said, include the establishment of standard and functional driving schools, collaboration in conducting professional road assessments (road safety audit) for issues of safety concerns on the roads, as well as a partnership on the Dangote Drivers’ Training Centre (Driving Range).
Speaking on various efforts by the company geared towards the reduction of accidents involving Dangote trucks, Dangote Cement group head of transport, health, safety and environment in Nigeria and Pan Africa, Ebere Okonkwo, stated that the company adopted several strategies to ensure compliance with Nigeria road safety standards.
According to Mrs Okonkwo, “Plans were put in place to improve our maintenance management. Actions were developed to improve and embed an effective journey management system with a focus on supervision. We introduced compliance monitoring and reporting such as performing check-ins on drivers while on trips, random alcohol, and drug tests, etc.”
Mr Singh said the collaboration between Dangote Group and the FRSC was paying off. He, on behalf of the company, also congratulated the Corps Marshal for his elevation and appointment.
