UN agreement will ensure safe transportation of dangerous goods – FRSC

The United Nations Agreement Concerning International Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) will ensure safe transportation of commodities in the country, an official of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said.

The corps’ Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, said this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

He disclosed that Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, was attending the “Conference of Contracting Parties to the 1957 Agreement” in Geneva, where an amendment to the agreement was carried out.

Kazeem expressed dismay that far too many accidents involving the transportation of dangerous goods still occurred in countries across the world.

He said that with the UN agreement, the risks of such accidents would be reduced.

“The Agreement concerning the International Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) is a tried and tested United Nations instrument.

“It has helped to prevent such accidents and reduce the severity of their consequences for over 50 years.

“ADR also helps to ensure swift and effective emergency response in the event of an accident.

“Adopted at United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in 1957 as a European agreement, ADR is a highly successful example of the positive impact of international harmonisation and cooperation on improving safety.

“In addition to countries of the Pan-European region, Morocco, Tunisia and most recently, Nigeria, have joined ADR,” he said.

Kazeem said the development had signaled increasing global demand for solutions for the safe transportation of dangerous goods.

It was reported that ADR was among the six key UN international legal instruments serviced by the UN Agreement.

It also created a legal framework addressing the main causes of road traffic accidents.