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Tag: dispatch riders

  • 2 trucks collide, crush 2 dispatch riders on Eko Bridge

    2 trucks collide, crush 2 dispatch riders on Eko Bridge

    Two dispatch riders lost their lives following a crash involving two fully loaded Mack trucks, with registration numbers; T-10357 LA, and KJA 107 XM.

    The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said this in a statement on Sunday.

    The statement was signed by Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA .

    Bakare-Oki noted that the accident occurred Sunday morning on the Eko Bridge, inward Alaka corridor.

    “Preliminary findings suggest that the driver of one of the articulated trucks, reportedly driving at an excessive speed while allegedly dozing off, lost control of the vehicle.

    “The truck then careened into another moving trucks ahead of it, triggering a violent impact.

    “This collision led to the dislodgement of a 20-foot container from one of the trucks, which subsequently crushed two unsuspecting dispatch riders who were navigating the route at the time.

    “Both victims were confirmed dead at the scene,” he said.

    He added that the swift and coordinated response from LASTMA officers, who were on routine traffic monitoring duty beneath the Eko Bridge, ensured the immediate rescue of one severely injured truck driver.

    He said the driver was promptly transported to a nearby hospital in a Lagos State Government ambulance for urgent medical attention.

    He, added that however, the remaining two truck drivers absconded from the scene, presumably out of fear of the grim aftermath.

    “Investigations are currently underway to trace and apprehend the fleeing drivers involved in the fatal crash.

    “To forestall further incidents and safeguard other road users, LASTMA personnel immediately cordoned off the affected stretch of the bridge and redirected vehicular traffic through the Coastain Roundabout inward Alaka en route to Stadium,” he said.

    Bakare-Oki consoled the bereaved families, while expressing deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives.

    He reiterated the critical importance of responsible driving, particularly for operators of articulated vehicles.

    The LASTMA boss urged all drivers to exercise utmost caution, maintain full alertness, and ensure their vehicles are roadworthy before commencing any journey.

    Bakare-Oki further emphasised the agency’s ongoing, robust public enlightenment campaigns aimed at instilling safety consciousness among drivers, especially those operating heavy-duty vehicles.

    Other emergency responders at the scene of the accident includes: Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LSNSC), State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) and Police man from Iporin Division of the State.

  • DRTS stops registration of dispatch riders in FCT

    DRTS stops registration of dispatch riders in FCT

    The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) in the FCT will no longer register dispatch riders over their non-compliance to traffic rules and regulations in the territory.

    The Head of Public Relations and Enlightenment of the service, Mr Kalu Emetu, made this known in an interview with NAN on Friday in Abuja.

    “We have been having series of engagements with the riders for them to see reason to obey traffic rules and regulations but to no avail.

    “This is what informed our resolve to stop further registration. 2,500 of them have been cleared to operate within the FCT so far.

    “The Public Transport Mass Scheme, the unit in the DRTS that is responsible for regulating their activities have been engaging the operators and the owners, but that had so far yielded very little result’’, Emetu said.

    He explained that since some of the riders were registered through their companies and there is need for the companies to help caution them to desist from going contrary to the rules.

    “So, based on all these worrisome activities especially riding against traffic, speeding and reckless riding, we decided to stop further registration to contend with the activities of the operators headlong.

    “We have also come to realise that registering more of them would constitute more public nuisance’, he said.

    Emetu said that so far many of the riders have been arrested and their motorcycle dumped at Wuye office of the service, but yet so many are not deterred on reckless and non-adherent misconduct on the roads, `he said.

    He said that the service was considering restricting them to particular routes to check their menace especially within the city centre.

    “For instance, those that based or reside in Gwagwalada axis will only be allowed to operate between Lugbe and Gwagwalada, while those in Kubwa axis will only operate between Zuba and the city centre’, he said.

    He expressed optimism that when the new modalities come on board, it would no doubt checkmate the worrisome activities of the riders especially in the city centre.

  • Dispatch riders to face stiffer penalties for traffic rules violation

    Dispatch riders to face stiffer penalties for traffic rules violation

    The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) in the  FCT, says it will apply stiffer penalties on any dispatch rider for violating traffic rules and regulations in the territory.

    The Spokesman of the service, Kalu Emetu stated this in an interview with NAN on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Emetu said the development had become imperative having realised that all the measures put in place, such as fine did not yield the desired result.

    He said that the development informed the establishment of driving school where they are trained when caught for non-compliance.

    “There is no day we don’t correct up to at least 50 riders as a result of one offence or the other.

    “This has also prompted the service to stop registering more of the riders because of the nuisance they are constituting to the city,”he said.

    The spokesman said that this was one of the measures the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through the service, was putting in place to ease ways of doing business in the FCT.

    “It is a known fact that a delivery that ought to have taken 30 minutes or so to be delivered, will take some of them if not all, at most 10 minutes to do so.

    “But the question is, as much as they are trying to move any item from point A to B as quickly as possible, they should also obey traffic rules and regulations.

    “This development usually leads to outright arrest by our men on patrol within the city.

    “Immediately they are caught, they are immediately sent to the driving school for training and at the end of the day, they would have missed virtually everything they are pursuing for that day, ”he said.

    He explained that whenever any of them is caught, the service writes to the company because the bike is not registered in their names with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

    Emetu explained that it is left for the company to check whether the rider was still fit to continue to work with them or not.

    “We have what is called a Riders Certification Card (RCC).

    “So, once in a year, they are expected to come for training and after the training, we give them the certificate to show that they undergo the correctional riding skill.”

    The spokesman added that all these measures were put in place to ensure that they do the right thing by obeying traffic rules and regulations.

    “No speeding, no wrong overtaking, no riding against traffic  and whatever they are carrying should be inside the box attached to their bikes.

    “There are certain measurements for the boxes, meaning they should not carry anything that will not be inside the boxes.

    “No carrying of passengers among other things. But yet we still see them doing it in some locations and when caught, we fine them heavy than before to avoid a repeat, ”he said.

    Emetu said that all these measures were to prove to them that it was no longer business as usual.

  • FCT arrest 50 dispatch riders for alleged traffic violations

    FCT arrest 50 dispatch riders for alleged traffic violations

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) says it has arrested no fewer than 50 dispatch riders for alleged traffic offences within the city centre in Abuja.

    Alhaji Wadata Bodinga, Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) of the FCT Administration (FCTA), made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing newsmen shortly after displaying the seized motorcycles.

    Bodinga warned that the conduct and activities of dispatch riders in the city would no longer be tolerated by the FCTA and the motoring public.

    He disclosed that the directorate had received a lot of complaints about the conduct of some of the riders within the city and would no longer tolerate it.

    “We are here to parade the dispatch riders that we arrested for either riding against traffic in the city or beating the traffic lights.

    “As you may observe, the number of dispatch riders has increased within the city, probably because of the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging not only Abuja or Nigeria but the whole world.

    “Because of their door-to-door services, dispatch riders can actually help with errands of people that are staying at home to deliver some of their needs.

    “Just between Tuesday and today Wednesday, over 50 motorcycles and dispatch riders have been arrested for various offences.

    “They are the major culprits of beating of traffic lights and riding against traffic in the city which is not acceptable because they are trading with their own safety and the safety of other road users,” Bodinga said.

    He said that the FCTA had directed all the people arrested to go for emotional evaluation at a recognised hospital in the capital territory.

    The director said that the enforcement was a continuous one, adding that all the Area Commands had been directed to ensure that traffic rules and regulations were respected in the city.

    “This is Abuja and even where the traffic lights are not working, our men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force are there to ensure sanity.

    “People should be seen to, at least, obey the traffic lights in the territory and sadly, that is not the case when it comes to these dispatch riders as you can see the results of the operation,” he said.

    Bodinga disclosed that majority of them were not registered with the authority as dispatch riders as most of them were owned by individuals.

    He said that the culprits would be prosecuted at a mobile magistrate court, face compulsory two weeks training on traffic rules with formal letters from their various organisations.

    “For all the ones that have organisations, we have drafted a formal letter that we are going to send to their various companies and organisations, informing them of the conduct of their drivers.

    “And also, the need for them to bring even their other drivers for mandatory training to update them on traffic rules and regulations,” he said.

    He however, said the training was free but they would pay for their various penalties.

    Bodinga further said that after the training, the FCTA through the Transportation Secretariat, would issue them Abuja Riders Permit but it would be limited to only the areas that motorcycles were allowed to operate.

    In his remarks, Mr Ihkaro Attah, the Chairman, FCTA Ministerial Taskforce on Traffic Management, said dispatch riders who were allowed to operate in the city were already abusing the privilege.

    “They break traffic laws regularly and it has become a source of worry to the FCT Minister, Mr Bodinga and his men swung into action and clamped down on them.

    “We give the directorate pass mark for clamping down on these violators and some vehicles here are also involved.

    “They will be going through psychiatric tests to ascertain if they are normal because if something is not wrong with them they must be wrong with something,” he added.