Oyo state government has directed all commercial vehicle, tricycle and
motorbike operators to comply with the state official colour within
fourteen days or face sanction.
The chairman of Oyo State Road and Transport Management Authority
(OYRTMA), Dr Akin Fagbemi gave the hint during a meeting with stakeholders at
the state secretariat.
Dr Fagbemi also affirmed that the directive was for security reasons
and to differentiate between authentic transporters and imposters who would
hide under being commercial transport provider to carry out evil acts.
He said plans were underway to create and align various commercial
transporters into designated routes for orderliness and ease of mobility in the
state.
Representatives of the various stakeholders and associations applauded
the state government for the initiative and promised to ensure their members
comply within the specified time frame.
Oyo State Government has pledged to strictly control the influx and
operations of commercial motorcycles in the state following the ban of
operations of commercial motorcycles in neighboring Lagos state.
Executive Chairman, Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority
(OYRTMA), Dr. Akin Fagbemi said this in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan.
Dr. Fagbemi while noting that the agency awaits the position of Governor Seyi Makinde on the proscription or otherwise of motorcycles within the major highways in the state said OYRTMA was on top of its game.
Dr. Fagbemi disclosed that OYRTMA has put in place measures to have a
central database of all commercial cabs, tricycles and motorcycle operators
within the state to identity operators and their vehicles.
He said measures were at an advanced stage to kick-start the routing of all commercial cabs, tricycles, and motorcycles across the State.
This according to him would enhance easy identification in cases
of stolen vehicles/motorcycles, road crashes and operational axis.
Similarly, Dr. Fagbemi said with the support of sister security
agencies, OYRTMA would continue with its “Special Operation-one-Passenger”
(SOOP), which directs motorcycle operators within the state to carry only one
passenger as against the common practice of two or more passengers.
The statement added that the operation, which started January 2020, has brought to book with over two hundred offenders who are presently facing Mobile Magistrate Court for legal adjudication and sanctions if found guilty.
Oyo state government is to prosecute twenty-five
offenders caught driving under the influence of alcohol.
Chairman Oyo State Road Transport Management
Authority (OYRTMA), Dr Akin Fagbemi stated this at the Operational
Headquarters of the Authority in Ibadan.
Dr Fagbemi said that the arrest of the
drunk-drivers was in tandem with the mandate of the authority in its continuous
bid to curb avoidable road crashes occasioned by the reckless driving culture
of drunk drivers of both commercial and private vehicles.
The drivers were caught along the Ring-Road,
Iwo-Road, Moniya and Ogbomoso axis of the state through the aid of modern stop
and test alcohol detection device provided by the state government.
The state has lately announced its resolve to
conduct alcohol breath test on any driver that violated traffic regulations in
the state, especially during the ember months, to control the rate of road
carnage.
He disclosed that the twenty-five individuals
accused of drunk-driving would from Monday 30th December be charged to the
Mobile Magistrate Court for fair hearing while anyone guilty found would be
disciplined according to the dictates of the state’s enabling laws and traffic
rules.
In a move to sanitise Oyo state highways and ensure free
flow of traffic, the Oyo State Road Transport Management Agency (OYRTMA)
has impounded fifty vehicles at the popular Iwo-Road, along Lagos-Ibadan
Highway in Ibadan North Local Government in Ibadan.
Several heavy-duty vehicles were indiscriminately parked
along the road, causing huge obstruction to free vehicular movement along the
corridor and paralyzing economic activities around the area.
The trailers were taken to the agency’s headquarters in the
State secretariat at Agodi to allow free flow of traffic.
Dr. Akin Fagbemi and men of Oyo State Road Transport Maintenance Agency, OYRTMA, while impounding the trailers at Ibadan
Addressing the drivers of the impounded vehicles, the
Chairman of OYRTMA, Dr. Akin Fagbemi, who led the team said the present
administration in the state was not out to make life unbearable for the people
but to do all within the ambit of the law to woo foreign direct investors through
creation of enabling environment devoid of avoidable and perpetual traffic
jams.
“You may recall
that we recently announced the approval by the governor for immediate use of a
250-trucks capacity parking space at our Sanyo operational center. While
frantic efforts are on to secure other parking spaces across the State, we
implore all heavy duty vehicle operators to utilize the available park and
desist from indiscriminate parking on the highways as this is highly inimical
to other road users as well as the fact that it cripples economic activities
within the State.
“This operation
is not to witch-hunt anybody. We are aware of the technical implications of the
continuous parking of this heavy-duty vehicles whose imposing weights far
supersedes that of the designed load-carrying capacity of the highways thus
destroying the roads by creating portholes at different sections of the
highways.
“We therefore
enjoin all trailer operators within the State to cooperate with the State
Government to achieve free flow of traffic across the 33 local government areas
of the State.” Dr. Fagbemi explained.
The state government had about a week ago announced the approval of 250 trucks capacity parking space to de-congest highways within the Ibadan metropolis as a response to prayers from business concerns in the city for government to find a lasting solution to the traffic menace.
