John Adams, Minna
Worried by the activities of articulated vehicles which have frustrated government efforts at repairing roads in the state, the Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, has signed an Executive Order restricting the movement of all heavy-duty vehicles to night hours.
By the order, all articulated vehicles plying all the roads across the state currently undergoing repairs and rehabilitation will now be allowed movement between 9:00pm and 6:00am.
The government in a statement made available to newsmen in Minna on Saturday by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Bar. Adamu Panti Mohammed, said the order known as ‘Trailers, Tankers and other Heavy motor vehicles Order No 2: 2019,’ had since come into effect.”
He said that the new order had repealed the old one and now seeks to regulate the movement of heavy-duty vehicles and trucks to the hours of 10 pm to 6 am daily.
Barrister Panti also stated that “no trailer, tanker or any other vehicle loaded with inflammable and combustible products is allowed to park within residential areas.”
He stressed that failure to abide by the new order would attract punishment as the order has some penal provisions to be applied to those who flout it.
“Any person who drives a trailer or other heavy-duty vehicle and abandons or fails to remove the said vehicle within a reasonable time and thus obstructs normal flow of traffic, has committed an offence and shall be liable on conviction to serve a term of not less than six months imprisonment and a fine of N500,000.
“If the relevant state agencies has to tow away the vehicle, the owner shall pay and defray all towing expenses and for each day that the vehicle remains unclaimed, he shall pay a demurrage of N50,000, and if unclaimed for 30 days, the said vehicle will be forfeited to the government.
“Any person who harasses, threatens, insults, intimidates, obstructs, assaults, batters or disobeys any officer of the state or a security personnel in the course of enforcing this order, has committed an offence and shall upon conviction be liable to a term of imprisonment of not less than six months and a fine of N500,000,” he added.
He said a Magistrate Court of any grade shall have the power to summarily try offenders.
He, however, pointed out that such vehicles discharging within Minna or en route to Kebbi State and vehicles carrying perishable goods for the purpose of offloading within Minna metropolis, would be allowed to move between 11:am to 3:pm daily.