By: Tola Adenubi – Lagos
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) has urged the Federal Government to demarcate responsibility between the road and rail authority in Nigeria to forestall further accidents involving train and buses along railway crossing in the country.
In a statement signed on Friday by the CILT President, Mfon Usoro, the Institute said that rail specific infrastructure such as barriers, gate house, rails and level crossings with adequate signage and audio warnings should be provided and maintained by the Railway Authority.
According to the CILT President, “The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Nigeria commiserates with families that lost their loved ones and extends it prayers for a speedy recovery for the injured commuters involved in the train collision that occurred in Lagos this week.
“Level crossings are essential safety infrastructure for the free flow of transportation where there are intersections between two or more modes of transport.
“The road is designed, constructed, and maintained by a public authority separate from the Nigerian Railway Corporation who owns, maintains the rail tracks and operates the trains.
“Best practice dictates that rail specific infrastructure such as barriers, gate house, rails and level crossings with adequate signage and audio warnings be provided and maintained by the Railway Authority.
“The Institute recommends the following measures to Government for consideration and implementation:
“Short Term Measures: There should be clear demarcation of responsibilities and efficient coordination between the road authority and the rail authority in managing intersections. “The party responsible for funding the safe operations of the infrastructure should be revisited.
“The present system of shared financial responsibility for the provision, manning and maintenance of the safety infrastructure at intersections appears cumbersome and leaves room for lack of accountability.
“With proper dimensioning of roles, adequate funding should be provided for in the budget of the Nigerian Railway.
“There are minimum safe distances that must be observed at stops and intersections. A train requires a minimum of 320m adequate distance (safety over-run). This implies that to stop a train in motion, the driver must apply the brake about 320m to the stop point. It is an extremely difficult feat to manoeuver a successful emergency stop for a moving train with shorter safety over-run. This underscores the imperative of installing functional and well manned safety infrastructure at every infrastructure.
“Erection of barriers, Construction of road bumps/speed retarders, Presence of law enforcement agents at the level crossings to compliment the work of the gate keepers, Aggressive safety awareness campaigns targeted at commuters by the relevant agencies like the FRSC and State traffic agencies should be implemented.
“For long Term Solutions, the prevalence of intersections should be reduced. There should also be separation of the routes for rail tracks and roads. New constructions should as far as is practicable not include intersections in designs. Flyovers or tunnels should be preferred options.
“We commend the Federal Government for the speedy set up of an investigative panel on the accident.
“The CILT re-iterates its call for the Government to set up an independent body that will be tasked with investigation of all transport related accidents as recommended in the National Transport Policy.
“It is not best practice to expect the agencies directly or indirectly involved in accidents to investigate itself.
“The establishment of the proposed National Transport Safety Board aligns with global practice and is long overdue. We call on the Honourable Federal Minister of Transportation, most respectfully, to submit the National Transport Policy to the FEC for approval.
“The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) is the world’s leading international professional body for all sectors of the Logistics and Transport Industry. CILT is a rich resource for provision of authoritative views on systems and policies relating to Logistics and Transport for government and industry and have highly knowledgeable, skilled and experienced professionals capable of enhancing efficiency in line with best global practices.”