Explosion: Ogun Bans Articulated Vehicles from Bridges, Proposes Stiffer Sanctions
transport January 19, 2021 marineandeconomy
Sequel to the death of three people and six persons who sustained various degrees of serious injuries from the tanker accident which occurred in Abeokuta yesterday, the Ogun State Government has banned fuel tankers and other articulated vehicles from plying flyover bridges in the state as well as proposed stiffer penalties for drivers who will violate the order.
The State Governor, Dapo Abiodun announced this decision during his assessment visit to the scene of the tanker explosion, which occurred around IBB Boulevards in Abeokuta on Tuesday morning and led to the burning of five vehicles and two motorcycles.
The governor also vowed that harsher punishment would be meted out to any tanker driver found culpable, adding that the ban is meant to safeguard lives and property of the citizens in view of recent explosions in different parts of the state.
He said the injured, who were badly burnt, had been taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, and the state Hospital, Ijaye, both in Abeokuta.
The Governor said the State has gone a step further to invite burn specialists from Lagos to attend to those that have 80 to 90 per cent burnt which requires special attention ,adding that the specialists have since arrived Abeokuta, while they will decide if the burnt persons will be transferred to the burn centre in Lagos.
Abiodun disclosed that he will discuss with the State Ministry of Transportation the plan to commence the enforcement of ensuring that tankers plying the State’s roads are well checked to see if they are road worthy or not.
According to him, “We will put measures in place to reduce this kind of occurrence, part of that is to include that taker drivers should not operate on our overhead bridges anymore.
“If their ability to control their vehicles at times now become a hazard to other road users, we think it is important to declare that tankers are not allowed on our overhead bridges anymore.
“We will put in place a very tick fine for any tanker driver found on any of these bridges.This, among other measures will be rolled out in the next one day or two days,” he declared.
