Two tanker-driver ‘joints’ where death visits daily
Tafa and Maraban Jos in Kagarko and Igabi local government areas of Kaduna State have been nightmares of motorists plying the Zaria-Kaduna-Abuja expressway for a long time. The obstruction cause by heavy lorries and tankers, which are parked on the highway at those areas, is a serious cause for concern for both motorists and residents […]
Tafa and Maraban Jos in Kagarko and Igabi local government areas of Kaduna State have been nightmares of motorists plying the Zaria-Kaduna-Abuja expressway for a long time. The obstruction cause by heavy lorries and tankers, which are parked on the highway at those areas, is a serious cause for concern for both motorists and residents of the areas. Tanker and truck drivers, who move goods and petrol from the South to the North, and vice versa, have since turned the edges the highway into a garage of sorts.
Weekly Trust’s investigation revealed that many attempts made in the past to relocate the drivers and their trucks into the nearby garages were not successful. In a recent attempt, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) constructed two garages at the two areas but they were not put to use as both the agency and the Kaduna State government were not able to put the new garages into good shape.
“Yes, it is true that FERMA has constructed two garages; one at Maraban Jos and the other one at Tafa,” Alhaji Madugu Kamba, Vice Chairman of the Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD), Maraban Jos chapter, said. “I can only talk on behalf of the PTD’s members. We are willing to relocate to the new garage because it is even more convenient for us but there is no way we can ask our members to go into that garage in its present condition. The garage needs to be cleared because it is now bushy and it has to be tarred. If we move into that garage the way it is now, it would definitely going to affect our vehicles as there is the tendency of our trucks to be choking in the mud.
“Our national chairman, Gambo Tilde, is aware of our problems in Tafa and here in Maraban Jos. He has told the government that we would not go into the garages built at those areas until they are put into shape. What they did was just fencing of the large fields. Even an empty truck cannot move into that garage without facing problem not to talk of a fully-loaded tanker. The places are muddy.
“If the government,” Kamba continued, “can finish the construction of the garages, I know that our national leadership would direct the immediate relocation. We are willing to move into those garages. We are parking by the road side because it is our only option. A lorry or tanker driver needs some rest after a very long journey. It is the practice everywhere in the world. It is true that people lost their lives here through numerous accidents that happen almost every day but we’re addressing that problem. We have now asked our drivers to stop parking on the road. This is to allow effective visibility. If you look at the road now, you’ll find out that one can see the upcoming vehicles from a reasonable distance. Let me say, once again, that we are ready to go back to the new garages. Some cars’ drivers usually drive into these areas in high speed and that is what usually causes accidents or crushing of passersby.”
Contrary to the belief among most motorists that are plying the Zaria-Kaduna-Abuja expressway that the truck drivers are above the law, Kamba said they have been appealing to the government to finish the work in the garages to enable them relocate from the highway in order to bring to an end the obstruction and the accidents, which the highway occupation is causing. “When they finish the construction of the garages, no driver would ever park by the road side again. If the garages are put to shape and we refuse to relocate, I think we can then be held responsible for any accident or obstruction,” Kamba explained.
On his part, Alhaji Halidu Madaki, the chairman of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), heavy truck section, in Igabi local government area of Kaduna State, said government is to blame for all that are happening in Tafa and Maraban Jos.
“The government refused to hand over the new garages to us,” Alhaji Madaki said. “We have been urging them to hand over the new garage here in Maraban Jos to us because of the frequent accidents that are happening both in Maraban Jos and Tafa. It is rare for a week to pass without a car hitting passersby, which usually result to deaths or serious injuries. We have been presenting our complaint to the government for them to hasten the completion of the work on the garage so that we can relocate to the garages. We need to relocate these tankers and trucks because they are causing serious obstruction, which result to many accidents.
“We have invited many government officials to come here and see things for themselves so that they can finish the work in the new garage. If government is willing, they can finish the work in the new garages within weeks. When the government is done, it would also serve as a means of generating revenue. Any place where there is a garage, government stands to benefit. If they can hand over the garage to us the way it is, we can put it in good shape and put it into use.”
Weekly Trust investigation also revealed that beside the problem of the non-use of the new garages, both Tafa and Maraban Jos have had garages that were constructed long time ago. The two garages, however, are now used as parking lots of old trucks, preventing their effective use.
A source told Weekly Trust that politicians, top government officials and other influential Nigerians who own trucks are the ones who turned those garages into their parking lots, forcing the truck drivers to be parking on the highway. “Beside the general abuse of the existing garages by some influential people, mechanics have taken over the old garages. It is not supposed to be so because the places are meant for the parking of trucks and not to be used by mechanics. The mechanics occupied the old garages because of their connection with some government officials. In a nutshell, if the government wants to end this problem of parking trucks on the highway, they can do it even today by completing the construction of the new garages and put the old ones into effective use,” the source said.
When contacted, Kaduna State Information Commissioner, Sa’idu Adamu, said the state government has inaugurated a task force that would look into all the issues regarding the completion of the new garages and the sanitising of the old ones. “We are also not happy about what is happening in those areas. This was why the government set up a committee that comprises the state commissioner of police, the director, SSS and other key security personnel and government officials. In fact, the committee is headed by the Secretary to the,” Adamu told Weekly Trust.
As heavy trucks continue to remain by the side of the Zaria-Kaduna-Abuja highway, lives will continue to be lost while many will continue to be injured. The earlier the problem is addressed, the better for motorists plying the road and the residents of the area, a resident said, shaking his head.