Over the years, the use of dispatch riders has grown exponentially in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). BENJAMIN SAMSON in this report examines the recklessness of some dispatch riders and how they can be tamed.
Dispatch riders are employed by service agencies to deliver mails, documents, equipment, materials, meals and other such products to a variety of clientele in the city.
The job
Some of them who spoke with Blueprint Weekend said their take-home pay varies and it is in two formats. Some are placed on a monthly salary, depending on the viability of the business and the agreement signed with the company while others work on commission basis.
A 26-year-old Philibus Auta, a secondary school certificate holder, explained how he started the job.
He said: “I used to operate as a commercial motorcyclist before I saw this opening and applied. More so, knowing how to ride a bike is part of the requirements and most importantly, you would need a guarantor. I have been in Abuja for about five years. To an extent, I understand the terrain.
“It is part of what I have been doing for years but now in a different dimension and in a more organized setting. The job is interesting. It exposes you to a lot of things like entering places and meeting people.
“My monthly salary is N40,000. I resume at 8am and close between 8pm and 9pm depending on the nature of the delivery and the timing. In as much as it is interesting to move around, it is also tiring. In most cases, we get tipped by the owners of the goods and our bosses. That is if you are hardworking and respectful.”
For Theophilus Ayuba, “It is not an all- comers affair, given how exhaustive and risky it is. Excuse is not allowed. As clients are making orders, you are booked to deliver. In most cases, you are expected to go to about five places within two hours. And you have to do so.
“In trying to get to your destination, you have to devise different means and shortcuts in getting there on time. Thankfully, road safety officials do not obstruct our movements because the companies are registered. Sometimes, we fall and break our legs and heads but items must be delivered on time.
“We are subjected to abuses by motorists, especially those who would want to block us from passing in-between their vehicles. We weather the rain and sun.”
Hazards
Speaking with this reporter, an online business marketer, Tunji Afolayan, said services offered by dispatch riders have made life easy and aided activities in the city.
He, however, lamented proliferation of dispatch services and recklessness of dispatch riders.
He said: By the reckoning of most clients, dispatch services are convenient and have come to help ease business activities for corporate organisations and even individuals in Abuja, Lagos and other major cities in the country.
“I laud the initiative as it has indeed aided businesses and created jobs for some of the teeming unemployed youths in the country. However, it has been observed that these dispatch riders, in the course of carrying out their duties, take unnecessary risks on the roads which most often result in fatalities to themselves and other road users. Nowadays, no day passes without reports of dispatch riders involved in one accident or the other in Abuja.
“This untoward development has been attributed mainly to the mushrooming of dispatch services in view of the growing demand for their services. In the past when the bulk of dispatch services were handled by mail and document courier agencies, their dispatch riders operated under strict procedures. The dispatch riders were not only well kitted in identifiable company gears, they were also under obligation to observe safety and security guidance while going about their work. Above all, they were trained to observe and obey traffic regulations as that is where the bulk of their work is.
“But the expansion of the dispatch services has brought with it a lowering of the standards under which riders have until now strictly operated. Many dispatch riders operate independently outside of the known courier service companies that have strict rules and procedures. Indeed, some of the riders actually hire the motorcycles they use in their operations from vendors under conditions which compel them to pay up at the end of the working day. And in their bid to meet up with the demands of the service and to pay the vendors, these new dispatch service companies and riders cut corners and often operate without the necessary safety guidelines, including over-speeding and disregard to other traffic regulations.”
Similarly, a motorist, Munir Isiaka, who spoke with our reporter, said some of them have no regard for traffic laws and pedestrians
“Judging by the dangerous manoeuvres of some riders, they beat traffic lights recklessly and overtake at sharp bends, trusting on the fortification of their personal protective equipment. You would see them meandering roughly through pedestrian bridges, scaring away those on foot.
“However, not all of them are awful riders. A good number of them have regards for road signs. While they appreciate the need for punctuality, they also know that work is for the living,” he said.
Regulations
Likewise, in a chat with this reporter, Mr. Effiong Ataawaji, an instructor with Aso Driving School Abuja, called for the regulation of the industry.
He said: “In view of the growing excesses of dispatch riders in the city of Abuja, I believe it is time for the federal capital authorities to wade in and ensure that their activities are properly regulated. As it is at the moment, motorcycles are not allowed to ply the city centre, therefore, there must be a standard way of identifying these sets of people. If they have not done so already, the authorities must also draw up a standard code of operations for dispatch service companies and ensure compliance.
“There should be proper registration and training of the riders on traffic rules and regulations as well as mandatory medical examination and certification of the riders before they are employed. And this should be periodic. The motorcycles they use for their operations must also be insured and their roadworthiness determined by vehicle inspection authorities before they are put to use.
“Going forward, the authorities should also consider marking out parts of the roads for dispatch riders to follow within the city so as to minimize traffic accidents. If dispatch riders and other motorcycle users have demarcated lanes on the major roads, as happens in several countries, it will reduce the frequency of accidents and fatalities involving dispatch risers that we now witness almost on a daily basis in Abuja.”
VIO’s reaction
In his reaction, the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Abuja, warned dispatch riders to obey road traffic rules and regulations or be banned from operating in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The DRTS spokesperson, Kalu Emetu, on Tuesday in Abuja said the newly appointed director, Abdul-Lateef Bello, gave the warning when he paid an engagement visit to a commercial motorcycle park at Lugbe, FCT.
Mr. Emetu quoted Mr. Bello as saying that the DRTS management, in collaboration with essential transport stakeholders, planned to tackle the misconduct of dispatch riders and commercial motorcyclists.
“The government will be forced to enforce a ban when they insist on riding or driving against the traffic, thereby endangering their lives and others,” Emetu said.
He said the same action would also be taken against other motorcyclists, tricycles and motorists who fail to obey rules.
Pressure
However, a dispatch rider, Musa Alhassan, attributed the recklessness of some of his colleagues to pressure from their employers to satisfy customers.
According to him, he cannot lose his life in his bid to satisfy his customers as a dispatch rider, adding that he is not bothered with meeting the targets set by the organisation he works at the expense of him risking his own life.
He said the terrain he plies everyday within the Abuja city is filled with so many risks and reckless driving on the highways that can lead to untimely death of a dispatch rider if care is not taken.
Alhassan recalled the sad incident he witnessed at Galadimawa roundabout in Abuja where his dispatch rider colleague was knocked down by a motorist and two other motorists also hit him while on the ground, which led to his death instantly.
“I can’t kill myself because of over speeding to meet the targets of my company or because I want to please clients. I ride carefully; I don’t over speed at all.
“I remember the incident that happened at Galadimawa roundabout about three weeks ago when my colleague was killed by a hit and run driver. He was hit and the driver did not stop. Two other cars trampled on him in the process and he died instantly.
“His body was dismembered. It was a very gory sight to behold. I wanted to drop my resignation letter that same day. I was terrified by the incident, but I summoned courage to continue with the job.
“Some clients just want you to run recklessly to meet their expectations. A customer wanted me to be at the Abuja airport in less than two hours from Area 10 and I told him that it was not possible.
“Another dispatch rider may take the risk and lead to his six feet below, but not me. Some customers want you to speed to your early grave,” he said.
Safety
Meanwhile, experts have urged motorcycle riders to be safety conscious while decrying the spate of accidents on roads. Experts who gathered at the training of Courier/Logistics Dispatch Riders in Lagos organised by Total Workplace Safety Management Systems Limited (TWPS) stressed the need for riders to be certified and trained on customer relations.
The director-general, TWPS, Hakeem Dickson, said the accidents of bike riders are on the increase because the government is not checking them, stating that the government is not present in that sector.
Dickson said the training is all about prevention, safety and the need for riders to be insured.
Its chief executive officer, PushMobile Technology Limited, Adebayo Jayeola, said bike riders need to change their mindset on maintenance, customer relations and reporting.
Jayeola said a lot of the riders cannot write or read, they cannot maintain their bikes. No education or certification is attached to it, hence the need for the training and certification, either at a corporate or individual level.
“There are a lot of motorbike accidents and we want to avoid further occurrences. We are going to train riders on Health Safety and Environment, customer relations, bike maintenance and business intelligence and management.
“The logistics business would keep booming when e-commerce is thriving. I see the business as a booming one but we need to regulate accidents and quacks coming into the industry,” he said.
Speaking on bike maintenance and its importance, Test Centre Manager of Kugbo Computerised Vehicle Inspection Service in Abuja, Oluwadare Ojo, said a lot of people get a little lazy about motorcycle maintenance over time. To keep a bike in good running condition, periodic maintenance is extremely important.
Ojo said maintaining the bike regularly helps it to perform at its peak and ensures that riders enjoy safe problem-free riding. A lot of the basic servicing jobs are easy and can be carried out individually.
