Oyo State government has urged motorists and commercial drivers not to drink while driving, obey traffic rules as well as drive safely during this festive period. The chairman, Oyo State Road Management Agency, Dr Akin Fagbemi, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen noting that cases of hit-and-run recorded by the agency in the preparation for the festive period is worrisome. Dr Fagbemi who said many of the road accidents are caused by drunk drivers called on owners of articulated vehicles to encourage their drivers not to drink while driving. The OYRTIMA boss however hinted that necessary machinery has been put in motion to manage and control traffic during the yuletide in the state.
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.
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.
