An 18-seater bus belonging to Kakara Transport Nigeria Limited got into an accident in Gashaka Local Government Council of Taraba State.
The accident occurring immediately after the old bridge, a few meters away from Serti, the administrative headquarters of Gashaka Council, had left several passengers sustaining varying degrees of injuries.
From reports gathered, the driver of the 18-seater bus, en-route to Jalingo from Gembu had allegedly lost control of the vehicle after the two back tyres of the bus burst.
An eyewitnesses had chalked up the tyre burst to overloading, saying that the vehicle spun three times before it came to a stop after hitting a dry piece of wood.
Thankfully, no life was lost but several passengers had sustained various degrees of injuries, including fractures and internal injuries.
The eyewitness also disclosed that some of the injured passengers were quickly rushed to a hospital nearby and were allegedly responding to treatment at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, a senior staff of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has confirmed the accident to news reporters.
Measures To Be Taken Going Forward:
- Enforcing Anti-Overloading Regulations: The relevant authorities should enforce strict regulations forbidding overloading of vehicles. Constant checks should be made on the road to ensure that the drivers adhere to the stipulated passenger and cargo limits to prevent accidents caused by vehicle instability.
- Carrying Out Maintenance Checks Routinely: Transport companies should conduct regular maintenance checks on their fleet of vehicles. These maintenance checks should include, but not be limited to tire, brake and seatbelt inspections, so as to identify and address potential mechanical issues before they lead to accidents on the road.
- Driver Training and Certification: Detailed training programs and certification requirements should be obligatory for all drivers, and these programs should mostly focus on safe driving practices, defensive driving techniques, and emergency response protocols to reduce similar accidents.
Bottom Line:
Applying these preventive measures can contribute to reducing the reoccurrence and severity of accidents on the road, thereby ensuring the safety and well-being of passengers and drivers alike.
