Companies without dignified Staff buses to pay N5m fine

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Companies and corporate organisations that henceforth fail to provide dignified buses for transportation of its workforce are liable to pay a fine of N5 million.

Erring Director of an indicted corporate body are also to pay a fine of N200,000.

The Senate on Tuesday at plenary approved the sanction in a bid to improve human dignity for the transportation of employees in the country and that employers must provide shelter at the various bus stops for their employees.

These were sequel to the consideration of report on a Bill for an Act to provide for adequate transportation, protection and other facilities for employers in Nigeria to restore the dignity and other matters by the Senate Committee on Land Transport

According to the chairman of the committee, Senator Olugbenga Ashafa, (APC-Lagos East), the fine for corporate body was raised from N1million to N5million to enhance safety measures for employees by their respective employees.

Senate said “offences under this bill shall be tried by the industrial court” while any case of victimisation of an employee(s) should be reported to the Minister of Transportation.

Adopting the report clause by clause in the Committees of the Whole after presentation by Ashafa, the upper legislative chamber considered the inclusion of suitable and conducive vessels in the riverine areas for the purpose of conveying employees to and from work.

The Senate also considered other safety measures which made it mandatory for employers to acquire well equipped vehicles with seat belts and “at least a 46 inch high rail or enclosure on the sides and back of the vehicle”.

Vehicles for conveying employees, it added “must have lambs, brakes, horn, mirrors, windshield, turn signals and other safety equipments”.

“Every truck-type bus must have seats with backrests and must be provided with a minimum of 18 inches seat space for each passenger. Where the sitting is face to face, the aisle between the seats facing each other shall be 24 inches wide at the narrowest point”, it added.

The Senate also endorsed that all staff buses must be equipped with approved reflectors, fire extinguishers, carry a conspicuous mark on the outside of the number of passengers to be carried and shall not be allowed to carry more than the posted number.

It further said that the vehicles “must have exit door that can be opened outward from both the interior and exterior of the vehicle”, adding that those designed for carriage of goods and animals be clearly marked “for goods only”.