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The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says passengers manifest remains a vital document to ensure security and easy identification of each passenger in a commercial vehicle especially those on interstate journey.
The Sector Commander of FRSC Enugu State Command, Mr Joseph Toby, said this while speaking to pressmen in Enugu on Thursday on the ongoing Free Safety Check Days embarked on by FRSC nationwide.
Revealed that passengers manifest is a document where the name, home address, phone number and destination of each passenger is entered before a commercial vehicle leaves a park or office.
The document also contains the passenger’s next of kin and phone number.
Toby said that the Free Safety Check was meant to increase road safety education and awareness of drivers plying roads without booking any offending driver between June 23 and June 26.
According to him, motor park operators, transport companies and fleet operators should know that filling of passengers’ manifest is imperative for every traveller.
“Even a baby travelling, his or her identity should be reflected in the document.
“We have clearly enlightened motor park operators, transport companies and fleet operators that every human being in their vehicle must be reflected in the passengers’ manifest.
“Anybody, who fails to fill his or her details should not travel in that vehicle. It is as serious as that,’’ he said.
According to the FRSC boss, the passengers’ manifest remains a document necessary for security purpose.
“God forbid, a security situation happens while on the journey and the need to ascertain some facts and figures concerning the passengers, the document becomes handy.
“It is a common knowledge that bad elements also carry out their evil intention along the roads and a passenger may fall victim.
“The document will also be of great help in identification, search and rescue during road crash as well as contacting next of kin of a passenger when there are unfavourable developments.
“The corps wants to strengthen its surveillance and enforcement of passengers’ manifest in the state after the Free Safety Check days to check insecurity and ensure greater safety of everyone using the roads,” Toby said.
The FRSC boss advised travellers to desist from boarding vehicles along the roads.
He said that boarding at a designated park or company and doing the needful by filling the passengers’ manifest remained a wise option.
“At times, you can easily be picked up by kidnappers and other evil people along the road.
“There is no one you go and complain to if you are lucky to be alive after the ordeal with the bad elements.
“Please, we should not be in a haste or unprepared on a journey due to lateness and it forces us to enter any vehicle along the road. One’s safety should be first in mind,” he said. (NAN