The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is lobbying for a legislation that will provide stiffer penalties for drivers and owners of vehicles apprehended for overloading.
Mr Osita Chidoka, corp marshal and chief executive of the commission made this revelation at the Nigeria Auto Media Award organised by the Guild of Maritime Correspondents in Lagos recently.
The corp marshal who said the step is one of the measures the body is adopting in the total war it has declared on overloading to enable it improve on the global rating of road safety in Nigeria from the present position of 91  to becoming one of the 20 safest countries to drive a vehicle by the year 2020.
According to him to ensure that the vice is reduced  the commission is to start the implementation of the penalty point entry system, whereby the drivers licence  of habitual violators are withdrawn after a specified numbers of apprehension, and   would not be renewed until they  undergo  a strict drivers’ appraisal programme.
Chidoka explained that the commission is also carrying its war on the vice further by developing a data base on drivers fond of overloading their vehicles adding that it is also  collaborating with major haulage firms and transport unions  on discouraging the use of their trucks for transporting excess goods.
The corp marshal stated that the body had to set a national enforcement date of  January 1, 2009 embarked on massive public enlightenment in the mass media as well as advocacy with traditional and religious leaders to check the problem of overloading of vehicles.
According to him, addressing the issue of overloading is also a major component of Road Transport Safety Standardization Scheme (RTSSS), adding that it is an attitude-changing and standard entrenching intervention strategy introduced by the FRSC. Enumerating the dangers of overloading, he said it can substantially impair the driver’s ability to control the vehicle while on motion adding that it makes braking to become more difficult and less effective since the vehicle is overweight by excess load.
Chidoka was of the view that overloading exerts massive strain on vehicle’s tyres, adding that tyre bust accounts for most cases of speed induced RTC, which is 27.1%.’
The corp marshal said overloading leads to excessive wear and tear of the road adding that according to revelation by a former managing director of the federal Road Maintenance Agency , Nigerians loses about N450 billion annually to vehicle maintenance due to bad roads.
Chidoka  who was conferred with a special honour of the’ Best Road Safety  Administrator ‘ was one of the personalities who received special awards at the event for their immense contributions to the development of the motoring sector.

Suzuki gains more market share in Nigeria

There are strong indications that the Suzuki automobiles, of which C&I Motors is the sole distributor in Nigeria has begun to gain extra market share following the rise in its patronage.
Some of the states in the country including Lagos which have commenced their modern taxi scheme in recent times have the brand in their fleet apart from more corporate bodies and individuals who are patronizing the cars.
About seven states trying to start a new modern taxi scheme are also now planning to use Suzuki cars for the programme due to the success that has been recorded with the cars by other states.
Mr Clement Chukwuka , C& I Motors general manger said in Lagos recently that the high patronage of the vehicles is due to the fact that Suzuki is  rugged, reliable and efficient while it is manufactured for the country’s rough terrain.
The brand’s reliability, ruggedness and ability to withstand rough weather may have explained why its models have continued to be used as official vehicles for desert expedition to Europe .
The Lagos State Government through its ministry of environment recently bought 14 suzuki vehicles which include the Jimny , Grand Vitara  and the APV models  for an expedition  through the Sahara Desert  to London.
The journey with Dr Newton Jibunoh an environmentalist as a facilitator kicked off in Lagos recently and took the travelers through Agadez in Niger . 
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State had flagged of the expedition which was undertaken in aid of the environment and to discourage desert desertification   about two weeks ago in Lagos while the participants are expected to return to the country before the end of the month.