•The Lagos State government had better get more serious about enforcing its traffic law, before ‘kill-and-go’ truckers despatch more innocent road users
It appears the Lagos State government and owners of trailers and trucks, banned by law from plying Lagos roads between 6. 00 a.m. and 9.00 p.m. in the public interest, are in for a long period of disagreement. This is following the failure of the vehicle owners to obey the law.
In spite of the state road traffic law which makes it illegal for the articulated vehicles to ply the roads in the state within the stipulated time, many of the banned vehicles continue to be on the roads, during the time belt they are supposed to be off, in blatant contravention of relevant sections of the law.
Indeed, the sections of the state traffic law, which bars the trailers and trucks from the roads within the Lagos metropolis between 6. 00 a.m. and 9.00 p.m, states that “any driver found contravening the provisions of this section shall have his vehicle impounded by a duly authorised officer … and shall upon conviction be liable to a fine of N50,000 or a term of imprisonment for six months or both”.
But this law had been obeyed more in the breach by the articulated vehicle owners, with the security agents turning a blind eye — until September 2 when three people were killed in an accident involving a container truck, at the Ojuelegba area of Lagos. This accident made the state government to remind the trailer and truck owners of the relevant sections of the law they had been contravening, warning that henceforth, such illegality would not be tolerated.
The permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Oluseyi Whenu, had warned after the tragic Ojuelegba accident that “The state government will henceforth go tough on any trailer and long vehicle that contravene the law; as such vehicles will be impounded and made to pay the stipulated fine accordingly”. Whenu added: “The new directive will pay more emphasis on flawless flow of traffic, while traffic offenders will now be booked and expected to pay their fines within the stipulated period in line with the state government’s promise to Lagosians to make life easier for them”.
But feelers from the truck drivers, under the aegis of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners and National Association of Road Truck Owners, indicate that they would not withdraw their trucks from the roads with immediate effect, over the restriction. They gave reasons, though, including safety of their trucks, drivers and the cargoes due to the activities of hijackers, and lack of a designated place in the state to park the vehicles, among others.
We cannot say these are unfounded, but then, they cannot be sufficient justification to break a law that was made following the due process. We recall that there were lots of stakeholders’ meetings before the road traffic bill was passed into law. These concerns ought to have been raised at that time. Now that it has become law, it has to be obeyed.
Be that as it may, such restrictions can only be a short term measure to deal with the menace of articulated vehicles’ drivers on our roads. It is common knowledge that many of these vehicles are not roadworthy; they had caused many accidents and wanton loss of lives and property all over the country.
At the very basics, the Lagos government must ensure whatever trucks, or articulates vehicles, that plies its roads are certified road-worthy. Whichever are not must, as routine, be impounded. This nonchalant attitude to safety, and government’s own lethargy to enforce right road habits, clearly cannot continue. So, if these vehicle owners must remain in business, they must ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy. Moreover, many of their drivers are generally reckless and daring; they have scant regard for human lives. No government worth its salt would shut its eyes to such recklessness or treat public safety with levity.
All said, however, we need a holistic approach to end the nightmare of articulated vehicles on our roads. Law enforcement has to be intensified, even as the government should make the necessary investments in other modes of transportation like the railway and waterways, to relieve the roads of the heavy burden of these vehicles on our roads — and the sheer menace of these kill-and-go truck and trailer drivers.