The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and the Automobile Technicians Association of Nigeria, ATAN, have lauded the introduction of FindTech App, which would link vehicle owners to reliable and verified auto-mechanics services, describing it as a real time solution to automobiles faults which cause crashes around the country.
The Education Officer at the FRSC, Lagos Sector, Route Commander Olabisi Sonusi, stated that besides errors like human factor and bad roads which were responsible for road crashes, mechanical problems associated with poor maintenance of vehicles were prominent.
Earlier in the year, FRSC said that about 41,709 people died in road crashes around the country in the last eight years, and a breakdown of the figure for 2019 alone showed that Kaduna recorded the highest with 484 deaths; Ogun followed with 364; Bauchi, 349; Niger 303 and Oyo 276.
In order to promote access to reliable and verified auto-mechanics services, a group of Nigerians introduced a software application, FindMech, a real time solution to vehicle breakdown and sourcing of reliable vehicle parts.
Sonusi stated that vehicles required regular maintenance just like any other mechanical device, starting from the regular servicing, minor and major repairs and very scientific diagnosis and proficient handling by qualified hands in real time.
Speaking at the event in Lagos, the Managing Director of FineMech Nigeria Limited, Mr. Dipo Akinfaye, said that the app was an up-to-date technology which links a car owner to location specific auto-mechanics, especially members of the Automobile Technicians Association of Nigeria around the country who possess the skills to solve such problems.
He said the mechanics had good diagnostic skills, all-round field knowledge, strong communications skill, good customer service skills, good work ethics and efficient and time-conscious solution to vehicle problems.
He lamented that bad roads cause serious damage to vehicles, especially the shocks, engine mount and other components which could get broken, and ignorance of owners and many drivers who lack technical idea culminate in huge loss of lives, cash and quality time.
According to him, when a car developed problem, the owner would log into the app and locate the nearest automobile technician in any part of the country who would provide professional and highly rated service, and where necessary will contact verified parts dealer for quality parts.
He stated that many car owners had been victims of unprofessional technicians, substandard spare parts.
He said with the new app, they would be able to access professional automobile technicians who used genuine spare parts for servicing and repairs of vehicles with little or no delay.
In his remarks, the chairman of Auto-mobile Technicians Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, Mr. Morufu Egberoungbe, who led scores of members of the association to the event, commended the introduction of the app and expressed readiness of his members to work with FindMech to solve the problem of frequent vehicle breakdown and its attendant booking by government traffic agencies.
He promised that his members were in full support of the app.
He urged sister associations to buy into the app in the interest of development.
Providing detailed benefits from the app, Mr. Lekan Dabiri, explained that the map-based app ensured pleasant motoring experience which he said came with not only verified auto mechanics but also a list of vendors of authentic spare parts.
