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The Chief Executive and Programme Director of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Michael Oluwagbemi, has called for increased road safety awareness following a tragic accident at Karu Bridge, Abuja.
Oluwagbemi, who visited the accident site on Thursday, was accompanied by officials from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, who are conducting independent investigations into the incident.
He extended his condolences to the victims and their families while stressing the need for improved safety measures in Nigeria’s transport sector.
Speaking at the scene, he emphasised the importance of stricter monitoring and enforcement of maintenance regulations for articulated trucks, particularly regarding brake systems and overall vehicle integrity.
He also highlighted the necessity of a well-structured licensing regime for commercial drivers that includes rigorous safety and emergency response training.
The PCNGI boss reaffirmed the initiative’s stance on the intrinsic safety of Compressed Natural Gas vehicles, urging stakeholders to remain patient as authorities work to determine the root cause of the accident.
He said, “What sometimes appears obvious is that people try to blame and demagogue the usage of CNG or one particular form of fuel, and that is why we have asked that the public exercise patience on the matter.
“In this instance, the underlying issue was a brake failure, and that is not new. In the last 15 years, we have seen tanker and haulage trucks brake failure, which I think needs to be tackled fundamentally on our roads. When brakes fail, that means the authorities in charge of inspecting vehicles and ensuring driver training and maintenance on our roads have to step up the work. But you can’t say just because of a particular scene of an incident with a CNG or EV truck. Fundamental, brakes must be maintained. We must not get to the heart of the matter and not demagogue the usage of Compressed Natural Gas.”
Oluwagbemi also noted that the proposed launch of the Nigerian Gas Vehicle Monitoring System will help strengthen oversight and ensure the safer adoption of CNG-powered vehicles across the country.
“As we transition towards cleaner and more affordable energy solutions, safety must remain a top priority. PCNGI remains committed to promoting alternative fuel sources that are not only cost-effective but also safer and more sustainable for Nigeria’s economic development,” he said.
On his part, the NMDPRA, Executive Director, Distribution System, Storage and retailing infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha, said there has been a drastic reduction of fatalities on the roads due to the strict compliance of safe-to-load initiatives enforced by the authority at the depots.
He also revealed that the authority is considering additional measures, such as colour-coding of all trucks to enhance safety.
He said, “We have been working with all stakeholders to make sure that we zero down on trucks in transit accidents. Indeed, on Wednesday, we had a stakeholders engagement meeting, and we reviewed the data of the resolutions taken earlier this year and how we were implementing them in the last month. We found that there had been a drastic reduction in fatalities on the road because we have enforced strong safe-to-load initiatives at the depot.
“There are additional measures that we are kicking off in the next week or two, including colour-coding of all trucks.”
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