All truck users must leave our highways says Minister of Works, Babatunde Raji Fashola has given truck drivers parked along federal highways across Niger state seven days ultimatum to stop parking their vehicles on federal roads.
He warned that at the expiration of the seven days, any truck driver who does not comply will face the wrath of the law.
All truck users must leave our highways, Fashola while addressing some truck drivers at Gawu Babangida in Gurara Local Government Area of the state during an inspection of the state of federal roads in Niger state, Fashola said they need to leave the roads to enable the contractors working on the road to carry out his job effectively.
“The truck drivers must leave the road, I give you people one week to leave, otherwise, I will bring law enforcement agents to move all of you away.
“We want all truck users, NATO and Road Transport Union to leave our highway. Let them acquire their own park and allow the contractors to finish work at a specified time.
“You have to tell all other drivers to leave highways, you must have a yard to park your vehicle. You need the road to do your business, therefore, you must allow the contractor to work on the road, if you leave your trucks on the road, there is no way the contractor can finish the job”, he stated.
All truck users must leave our highways, Fashola declared that the defaulters would be penalized for obstructing federal highways if they fail to comply with the ultimatum he has issued.
He further observed that the roads have deteriorated due to heavy vehicular traffic especially by trucks adding that the roads also wear off as a result of oil and other substances that comes out from the trucks, a development which slows down the work of the contractor.
“Asphalt is being destroyed by the oil truck drivers poured on it on a daily bases which the contractor must replace before the continuation of work to the next level; this leads to wasting resources that could have fast track the road construction.”
The Managing Director of Salini Nigeria Limited handling the Suleja-Minna road, Dr. Piero Capitanio appealed to the Federal and State government to assist the company to control the inflow of traffic especially as work has begun on the Suleja -Minna road.
