By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Transportation Secretariat has issued new guidelines for tipper drivers in the territory.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, by the secretariat’s Deputy Director Information, Ughamadu Ifeanyi said all tipper drivers plying the roads must ensure that items and materials being conveyed which have tendency of dispersing should be properly covered with tarpaulins as approved by the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS).
The statement explained that the guidelines were arrived at in a meeting of the secretariat with officials of Association of Tipper Drivers and National Union of mine workers in the Federal Capital Territory.
It also stated that the tipper trucks must be fit to ply on the roads with evidence of a Road Worthiness Certificate obtained from the DRTS just as the trucks without proper lighting are to be prevented from plying the roads at nights to avoid road crashes.
According to the statement, “Tipper Operations within the Federal Capital Territory will not be allowed during the peak hours of 6-10am – 3-4pm.
“All defaulters to these guidelines will be sanctioned in accordance with the extant laws and regulations”
The secretariat also directed the leadership of the two unions to always engage their drivers in training and retraining at least once a year to get them breast with the standards expected of them.
However, the statement called on the union leaders to advice their members on how to be of good conduct while operating on the highways and the need to respect the law Enforcement Agents who are on the roads to ensure orderly traffic.
