Night travels claimed 866 luxury buses in three years’

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The joint Senate Committee on Police Affairs and Federal Character yesterday said 866 luxury buses were lost to night travels in three years.
Quoting statistics, the committee noted that from 2007 to 2010, the number of buses that crashed during night travels was 866 of 5,097 bus accidents.
The figures are contained in a report presented on the floor of the Senate by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Paulinus Nwagu.
At its sitting on October 5, the Senate had debated a motion on the need to prevent accidents on highways among commercial buses during night travels.
It referred the motion to the Joint Committee on Police Affairs Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to probe the matter.
The committee said it held interactive sessions with stakeholders, including the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC); the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW); the representative of the Luxury Buses Association and the representative of the Police.
The committee noted that while night journeys are not the cause of dangers to travellers, but the infrastructure that are meant to support road activities during night journeys are either insufficient or absent.
It said the 866 bus crashes represent only 17 per cent of the number of road crashes with other causes like dangerous driving 17.6 per cent; dangerous overtaking 22.5 per cent; among others.
The report said casualties of night accidents are particularly prone to be left to their fate due to lack of rescue and medical services in the country.
It noted that poor visibility, especially caused by foggy or rainy weather, increase the danger at night.
The report also identified lack of secured rest areas or road camps to enable tired driver get some rest after long driving, as some of the causes of crashes at night.
The inability of travellers to get help in case of any mechanical problem, coupled with the higher risk of armed robbery and banditry, were also identified in the report.
It noted that the Nigeria Police is faced with inadequate patrol vehicles to assist travellers in emergencies.