Peace Mass Transport not blacklisted – FRSC

THE Federal Safety Corps has disclaimed reports in a section of the media that it blacklisted the Peace Mass Transport company.
FRSC denied that it had indicted or blacklisted any major transport operator in the country for accident related issue.
Head, Media and Strategy of FRSC, Mr Bisi Kazeem, said this on Wednesday, while reacting to report that the corps had blacklisted “Peace Mass Transit Operator” for involvement in accidents.
He, however, disclosed that the was concerned that company vehicles had involved in 10 accidents in the last six months, which claimed 22 lives and not 37 people.
He said the corps had invited and interface with PMT on the incident, saying it was a routine interface when the Corps notices upsurge in road traffic accidents involving fleet of any company and which is not limited to PMT.
He said: “We came out with a statistics to show that about 22 people were killed (in accident involving PMT) in recent time.
“But unfortunately, when we sent the press release out, there was an error where 37 were mentioned. It is actually 22.
“As a responsible and responsive organisation, we felt, we should correct the mistake because we are not here to spoil business for anybody. Our own concern is safety and way forward,” Kazeem said.
He further stated that once the FRSC observe a trend, may be a particular fleet operator is getting more involved in crashes than expected, where more lives are being lost, such organisation is invited.
He noted that this was being done through a department in the corps, Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS) being supervised by the Corps Transport Standardisation Officer (CTSO).
“So, having known through our record through the RTSSS that Peace Mass Transit of recent have been getting involved in accidents with some lives lost, a letter of invitation was sent to them,” he said.
Kazeem said that other fleet operators had been invited in the past to give reason for their incessant involvement in accidents.
“As I am talking to you, another six major fleet operators are being invited to Abuja in the next one week for the same purpose,” he said.
The FRSC and PMT met on July 13, following incessant involvement of the some vehicles in the fleet of the company in accidents.
They had in a communiqué, thereafter, agreed for the continuous inspection of the company vehicles by the corps to ensure compliance with RTSS by the company, among others.