‘Death of 37 persons in six months disheartening’

Road crashes involving the vehicles of Peace Mass Transit (PMT) has killed no fewer than 44 people, leaving 150 others incapacitated.

Statistics from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) showed that death and injury figures from the mass transit hit largest number in recent time.

According to the FRSC, accidents involving the transport company were alarming in the first half of 2016. Between January to June this year, FRSC Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi said 11 crashes were recorded involving 95 casualties, out of which 37 were killed.

According to him, between January 2015 to December 2015 the company’s drivers were involved in eight crashes affecting 62 casualties; while seven were killed, 55 of them sustained vary degree of injuries.

The figures bring the total killing and injuries recorded by the organisation in recent time to 44 and 150 respectively.

The Corps Marshal, who summoned the management of the organisation on Tuesday, said the high rate of the accidents has become unacceptable.

“This is why the FRSC has decided to call this meeting today for members of the Corps and management of the company to critically examine the factors responsible for the falling safety standards among the company’s drivers with a view to finding lasting solutions to the menace,” Oyeyemi stressed.

Head, Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, said in a release that the agency has ordered the company to put appropriate measures in place for safety of passengers and other road users.

Chairman of PMT, who was represented at the occasion by the Executive Director, Operations, Ugwu Chidubem, assured the Corps that the company was concerned by the upsurge.

He stated that adequate safety measures had been put in place to address its reoccurrence, some of which include installing speed limiting devices in the vehicles, avoiding overloading, regular retraining of drivers and routine checks on the vehicle.