National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) President Alhaji Ibikunle Tajudeen Baruwa, recently appointed member of the Joint Technical Task Team, on the movement and free flow of food, livestock, and agricultural inputs across the country has directed members of the union to cooperate fully with the ‘Team’ to achieve its desired results.
The directive contained in a circular to all its zonal/branch chairmen and made available to reporters reads: “This is to inform all our member drivers, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, who are involved in conveyance of food stuff, livestock and agricultural inputs across the country that carrying of fare paying passengers on their trips is highly prohibited. A driver is however authorised to go along with his Assistant/conductor, who will help the driver in the event of a breakdown.
“However be informed that in states or areas where there are no trucks; buses and taxis can also be used to convey food items, provided that such vehicles are not used to carry any other passenger except the driver’s assistant or conductor as the case may be.
State branches of the union were directed to also liaise with directors of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in their respective states as similar Technical Tasks Teams will be constituted in every state of the federation.
The circular also directed that members of the union so appointed to serve as coordinators at the state level should make reports of gridlocks, and other encumbrance to free movement of vehicles conveying food items in their respective states to the Joint Technical Task Team through the office of the national President of the union.