Niger restricts movement of trailers, others to night hours
The Niger state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sanni-Bello has signed an executive order restricting the movement of heavy duty vehicles to night hours.
This is to allow for the rehabilitations of all bad roads across the state.
This was contained in a press statement made available to newsmen in Minna, by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Adamu Mohammed.
He explained that the order known as the trailers, tankers and other heavy motor vehicles Order number 2, 2019, has since come into effect.
He said that the new order has repealed the old one and seeks to regulate the movement of heavy duty vehicles and trucks to the hours of 10 pm to 6 am daily.
Panti further stated that no trailer, tanker or any other vehicle loaded with inflammable and combustible products is allowed to park within residential areas.
He stressed that failure to abide by the new order will attract punishment as the order has some penal provisions to be applied on those who flout it.
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“Any person, who drives a trailer or other heavy duty vehicle and abandons or fails to remove the said vehicle within reasonable time and thus obstructs the normal flow of traffic, has committed an offence and shall be liable on conviction to serve a term of not less than six months imprisonment and a fine of N500, 000.
“If the relevant state agencies have to tow away the vehicle, the owner shall pay and defray all towing expenses and for each day that the vehicle remains unclaimed, he shall pay a demurrage of N50, 000 and if unclaimed for 30 days, the said vehicle will be forfeited to government.
“Any person who harasses, threatens, insults, intimidates, obstructs, assaults, batters or disobeys any officer of the state or a security personnel in the course of enforcing this order has committed an offence and shall upon conviction be liable to a term of imprisonment of not less than six months and a fine of N500, 000,” he added.
He said a magistrate court of any grade shall have the powers to summarily try the offenders, but however, pointed out that such vehicles discharging within Minna or en route to Kebbi state and vehicles carrying perishable goods for the purpose of offloading within Minna metropolis were allowed to move between 11am to 3pm daily.
