The Nation Newspaper

Category: Transportation

  • FRSC warns against overloading

    The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has advised motorists and transporters nationwide, against overloading their vehicles with passengers, especially with the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in some parts of the federation.

    The Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi made the plea in an interview with newsmen after receiving the National Executive Committee, Zonal Officers and State Chairmen of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

    He said: “The transmission of the Ebola virus are much faster if the vehicles are overloaded, though overloading is a traffic offence, the Ebola outbreak has brought it again to the front burner.”

    Much as we are apprehensive about its outbreak in Nigeria, Oyeyemi said one must praise  the robust efforts of the Federal Government to contain its spread, adding that all hands must be on deck to ensure that overloading is reduced to the barest, if not completely avoided.

    The Corps Marshal urged the transport union to sensitise members on the consequences of overloading according to him pose a two-pronged challenges-as traffic hazards and a medium that could facilitate the spread of the disease.

    Oyeyemi said the FRSC will need the support of the NURTW to ensure the reduction of road crashes throughout the ‘Ember’ months through strict compliance with traffic regulations.

    Responding, NURTW’s National President, Alhaji Najeem Yasin said the union was already organising a nationwide programme to sensitise its members about the Ebola Virus Disease, (EVD)adding that members of the union had been directed not to overload their vehicles as part of measures to check the spread of the disease.

    Earlier, Yasin had congratulated the Corps Marshal on his appointment.

    He said Oyeyemi’s appointment was a clear departure from the past, when FRSC Chief Executives were appointed from outside the system.

    He praised the Federal Government for the initiative, adding that it would ensure stability in FRSC.

    He urged the Corps Marshal to take measures to discourage underaged driving, speeding, drunk driving, non-use of seat belt, as well as use of phone while driving.

    The Chairman, FRSC, Chief Felix Chukwu commended the NURTW for the visit and urged them to remain steadfast in supporting FRSC’s numerous initiatives towards enthroning safer road use in the country.

    He also implored the FRSC management to forge closer ties with transport unions in order to engender sound road culture among commercial drivers in Nigeria.

  • Govt sets Oct 15 as horn-free day

    Can you imagine a day in Lagos without the jarring din from  horning automobiles ranging from bicycles, tricycles and other types of vehicles? Impossible? Not exactly anymore, as the Lagos State Government has concluded plans to set a date aside to be observed as a horn free day yearly.

    The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Kayode Opeifa, who made this known in his Alausa, Ikeja office said the government has approved Wednesday, October 15, as horn free day in the state.

    Opeifa said the day would help reduce noise pollution. He said motorists would be encouraged to stop blaring their horn throughout the day. Hopefully the habit would linger and gradually a horn free consciousness would sprout.

    He urged motorists to support the government in ensuring a reduction in noise pollution through strict adherence to the exercise.

    “The observance of  the day would help in instilling road discipline on motorists and help in the cultivation of the right use of the horn. It would also improve road courtesy and lane discipline and draw motorists’ attention to the need for mutual respect for other road users,” Opeifa said.

    He said Governor Babatunde Fashola has approved the plan as part of his continued advocacy for improved road discipline and courtesy among motorists.

    “Governor Fashola has challenged road users in the state to observe a horn free day and this is designed to complement the on-going efforts by the Lagos State Government in the provision and upgrading of traffic infrastructure across the state,” he added.

    He said the government would seek the active engagement of radio and television stations in generating discussions challenging road users to observe a horn free day, endorsement of the initiative by relevant stakeholders.

    Other platforms that would be used to sensitise the people, he added, are the ‘Ember’ months safety campaign by Vehicle Inspection Service, (VIS), to enlighten road users on road safety, especially during the last quarter of the year and the Law Enforcement Training Institute’s (LETI) community outreach programme which involves market women and vehicle operators.  These fora, Opeifa said, would provide avenue for discussion of the horn free culture among motorists.

    Opeifa said the Traffic Safety Ambassadors (TSA) would also be engaged to partner with the Ministry of Transportation to support the successful observation of the horn free culture beyind the day.

  • Fund, others stall Lagos light rail

    Fund, others stall Lagos light rail

    The delay in the completion of the light rail project has been attributed to dearth of funds, complications in the concessionaire’s terms of agreement and issues relating to the right of way of the project.

    A source in the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), who does not want his name mentioned,  told The Nation that though its speed might be slow, the project is still performing well in relation to the fund available.

    He said there is no truth in the rumours making the rounds that the project is being funded by the World Bank, adding that the light rail project is wholly funded by the state’s internally generated revenue.

    The light rail project, as part of the integrated public transportation system being managed by LAMATA, is envisioned to consist of seven lines. However even the initial construction of the first planned two lines have suffered delays.

    Governor Babatunde Fashola who inspected the project last Wednesday, lamented the project’s progress.

    He was, however, optimistic of its completion and expressed satisfaction on its progress. The governor ,who identified funding as part of the challenges of the project, said the project would have been completed in another 12 months. He, however, failed to give a new timeline for its completion.

    The source said though the large spectrum of the project is still ongoing, government could go ahead and commission the National Theatre to Mile 2 route as that is substantially ready. “Getting it (the project) ready up to Marina is where we still face some hitches,” the source said.

    He said the pace of work would have been much faster, if the Federal Government had supported the state in financing the project as part of its holistic national blueprint on public sector transportation.

    The light rail project has been a tortuous journey for the state’s transportation sector. First conceived in 1981, by the Second Republic Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, the project was scrapped in 1985 by the Military headed by Muhammadu Buhari at a loss of over $78 million to the Lagos tax payers.

    The idea was revived by former Governor Bola Tinubu in 2000, with a formal announcement of its construction in December 2003. The initial $135 million proposal was part of the greater Lagos Urban Transportation Project to be implemented by then newly formed Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). LAMATA initially concentrated on developing a Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) before embarking on the rail project, which it supposed to flag-off with the blue line and the red line.

    The blue line, being built by China Civil Engineering Construction Company, will run 27.5 km, with 13 stations, and journey time of approximately 35 minutes. It is being built as a high capacity, electrically powered rail mass transit system. Most of the route will be on the surface, but a part of the line will run on elevated structure.

    The entire Blue Line will operate over a secure and exclusive right-of-way, with no level crossings and no uncontrolled access by pedestrians or vehicles.

    Lagos State is financing construction of the Blue Line from its own resources. A concession contract is being awarded to finance, supply and operate the railway equipment, including electric power, signaling, trains, and fare collection. The Red Line will share the existing 30-metre wide Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) right-of-way, according to the planning.

  • 143 prosecuted for disobeying traffic law

    No fewer than 143 traffic offenders were prosecuted within Zone RS2, of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) during the just concluded Special Intervention Patrol tagged “Operation Sheild IV” on Lagos/Ibadan Express way.

    The RS2.2, Ogun State Sector Legal Officer Uzoma Chinedu Enwereuzo, said the operation focused on public enlightenment, clearing of obstructions and enforcement of road vices, such as lane indiscipline, violation of speed limit, overloading violation and driver licence violation.

    Enwereuzo, who prosecuted the traffic offenders, said they were arraigned  for committing various traffic offences, namely lane indiscipline/failure to move over (FMO); overloading violation (OVL); drivers licence violation (DLV) and seat belt use violation (SUV) among others.

    The three-day mobile court sittings was held at RS2.25, Sagamu Unit Command premises on Tuesday August 26 and RS2.23, Mowe Unit Command premises on August 27 and 28.

    The 118 of the traffic offenders, he said, were arraigned and convicted to various jail terms ranging from one week imprisonment to six months imprisonment, while 25 offenders were cautioned and discharged by the presiding Magistrate Mr I. O. Olayinka.

    One of the offenders, according to Enwereuzo, Mr Benjamin Oyekunle was sentenced to six months imprisonment for dangerous driving (DGD), assaulting marshal on duty (AMD), driver’s licence violation (DLV) and lane indiscipline/failure to move over (FMO). The RS2 Lagos Zonal Commanding Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Godwin Ogagaoghene, who spoke on phone with The Nation, urged road users to maintain utmost discipline while on the road.

    Ogagaoghene said only a good driving culture and obedience to traffic rules/laws would bring roads crashes to zero level.

    He advised road users to imbibe defensive driving this ‘Ember ‘months and beyond, saying there is no sucking blood demon on the roads during these months as it was being contemplated.

  • Unions back emission policy

    Unions back emission policy

    THE Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and auto techicians have bought into the Federal Government’s national vehicle emission reduction policy.

    They have also resolved to work together for the success of the policy which enforcement begins in January.

    The policy, which is meant to improve the quality of vehicles and the life of Nigerians, will be enforced by the National Environmental Standard and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

    Under the policy, all vehicles must be installed with emission reduction technology.

    At a meeting in Abuja, RTEAN and the Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA) said their partnership would strengthen the government’s efforts at ensuring the growth of the automotive industry.

    RTEAN’s National President Alhaji Shehu Musa Isiwele, while receiving his NATA counterpart  Comrade Michael Ajayi Omonayin in his office in Abuja, said the partnership would enhance the industry’s contribution to the transportation sub-sector of the economy.

    The cooperation, Isiwele noted, would also help the government in creating an enabling environment for the manufacturing of vehicles and spare parts in the country.

    He said: “The success of road transport business rests on the professional competence of your members and quality of services provided as auto-engineers which is central to vehicle maintenance.”

    Isiwele said with 16 million members nationwide, RTEAN has a robust spread that is capable of delivering an efficient road transportation business.

    “More than any other association, either in the public or private sector, RTEAN has promoted issues of affordable, quality, durable and sustainable road transport system.

    “Today, it is not surprising that the association is adjudged as the best trade union in Nigeria  in the recent performance rating of trade unions in Nigeria,” he said.

    Isiwele praised  President Goodluck Jonathan for the automotive policy and the improvement in road network across the country. “This improved road network has improved road transportation and reduced accidents and fatalities,” he said.

    Omonayin said NATA sought RTEAN’s partnership on the automotive industry to further promote stakeholders’ dialogue with a view to promote overall public benefit.

    NATA, he said, is training its members in the repair and maintenance of automatic and electronic vehicles that would be replacing the old engines in line with the envisaged success of the auto policy.

  • FRSC: How to know a good tyre

    TO reduce road crashes during the “Ember” months, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ota Unit Command, and Shell Nigeria Gas Plc, have trained commercial drivers operating in Ota, Ogun State.

    The drivers and vehicle owners were taught the vital things to look out for while buying tyres.

    FRSC’s Unit Commander, Mr Sunday Omafu, said most fatal accidents could have been averted if vehicle owners had bought good tyres.

    According to him, research showed that 15 per cent of reported crashes in the country were traceable to tyre-related defects.

    Tyres, Omafu said, were an important component in any vehicle as it is the only link between the driver and the road.

    Most vehicle owners, he said, consulted vulcanisers who are not literate while buying tyres.

    He said: “An average vulcaniser gauges a ‘good’ tyre by neatness, bouncing  it on the ground. They never consider the tyre’s manufacturing and expiring dates and its effectiveness on the road. They have no knowledge of tyre  temperature, pressure, speed limit, wearing, bar rate and loading index among others.”

    Omafu  advised vehicle owners to check the manufacturing and expiring dates of any tyre before buying it, adding that the manufacturing and expiry dates are the four- digit code inscribed on the sidewall of the tyre.

    Also to be noted, Omafu said, is the “traction rating”, which is the ability of the tyre to stop easily, on a wet or dry pavement. This, he said, are usually coded AA, A, B, or C, adding that the higher the rating, the better the traction.

    He urged buyers to be wary of common tyre defects such as bead fracture (tyre bulge), as this can result in sudden burst.

    The Zonal Matron, Mrs  Appolonia Ngozi Uzor, charged drivers to observe regular health check.

    She noted that a driver who fails to check his health status is an accident waiting to happen, adding that research has shown that drivers hardly bother to conduct a health check.

    Mrs Uzor said: “We have observed that a lot of these drivers have high blood pressure, which is not good. Many of them do not take care of their health but are only interested in making money.

    “They neither maintain their vehicles nor take proper care of their health. This is responsible for most crashes on the road because poor health management affects drivers’ judgment on the road.”

    The Zonal Public Education Officer, Mr Olusegun Ogungbemide, who spoke on road signs, urged drivers to adhere to road signs at all times, especially during the coming “Ember”months.

    “Ember months are the period characterised by hasty travels, which increase human and vehicular traffic.

    “There is no juju or blood-sucking spirits on the roads, the high rate of accidents are caused by reckless driving,” he said.

    He urged the road users to “show the highest sense of discipline and avoid flouting traffic rules and regulations”.

    According to him, drivers should desist from excessive speeding, overloading, wrong overtaking, use of phones while driving, drunk driving and always be 15 metres away from the vehicle ahead of them.

    The Itori Unit Commander, Mr Bakare Fatai Adesina and Unit Coordinator of Isaka/Igbala Special Marshal, Mr Samuel Ajayi, enjoined motorists to guard against bad driving that causes crashes.

    Ajayi urged Okada riders to always ensure they use helmets and avoid overloading in the name of making money.

  • LASTMA not revenue agency, says Arebamen

    LASTMA not revenue agency, says Arebamen

    A commissioner in the Office of the Public Complaints Commission (OPCC), Mr. Funsho Olukoga, has praised officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) for their commitment to duty.

    LASTMA, he said, has brought sanity back to the roads, leading to the reduction of gridlocks across the state.

    Olukoga spoke when he led some officials to visit LASTMA Headquarters in Oshodi.

    He said the visit was to establish harmonious relationship with the agency, adding that with the communication channel now opened, both agencies can attend to issues of common interest.

    Olukoga urged traffic officials to be disciplined and respect the rights of other road users to ensure sanity on the roads.

    The agency, he said, was doing a fantastic job that called for the cooperation of other stakeholders.

    LASTMA’s Chairman Mr. Young Arebamen assured of the agency’s commitment to restoring orderliness on the roads.

    LASTMA, he said, has become a model for other states that desire seamless traffic flow in the country.

    He said the agency has zero tolerance for officer’s indiscipline, adding that the Law Enforcement Institute recently set up by the government is meant to enforce discipline in all the rank and file.

    The former commissioner of police debunked insinuations  that the agency was set up to generate revenue.

    He said the law establishing the agency did not make it so, adding that the traffic fines are insignificant when compared to the agency’s overall running cost.

    Arebamen said LASTMA was established to maintain law and order on the roads.

    The state traffic laws, he said, are in line with global trend appealing to motorists cooperate with LASTMA and make use of its internal mechanism to seek redress against perceived injustices.

    He praised the Public Complaints Commission for the “confidence building trip” which according to him, would enhance inter-agency cooperation in the interest of better service delivery and protection of public rights.

     

  • Bridge repair: Govt urges caution

    The Lagos State Government has urged motorists and other road users to exercise caution during the replacement of the expansion joints of the Eko Bridge.

    The Commissioner of Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said the advice became imperative since the planned repairs which began on August 23, would last for about 71 days.

    The first phase of the repairs being carried out by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Opeifa said, would witness a partial restriction from two lanes to one, at the loop towards Elegbata (Apongbon inter-change) in-ward Lagos, for six days between August 23 and 25, adding that the restriction would not affect inward vehicular movements.

    “To avoid delays, motorists coming from Surulere and Apapa going towards Ebute-Ero and outer Marina are advised to use the connecting road to link Carter Bridge,” Opeifa said.

    He urged road users to obey traffic regulations, adding that traffic officers have been directed to ensure traffic flow throughout the exercise.

    Government, he said, is determined to keep to the timeframe for the project, adding that with what it has in place, there would be no need for total closure of the bridge.

  • Okada trade is undignifying, says NLC chief

    Okada trade is undignifying, says NLC chief

    SHOULD Nigerians accept commercial motorcycle popularly known as okada as a form of public transportation?

    No, says Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Issa Aremu. “Okada is very undignifying and the job, very risky,” he said.

    Speaking in Lagos, Aremu said okada should be banned outright.

    Aremu said: “Let us all continue to give the government the needed support to revive acceptable modes of transportation that would address mass transportation and one that we would all be proud of as a people. Okada is demeaning and dehumanising and can never be an alternative to mass transportation in this country.”

    He urged Lagosians to continue to support government’s investments in the public transportation sector, which according to him, remains the way out of unemployment and poverty.

    Many, he said, would benefit from jobs that could be created by the inter-modal means of transportation, rather than the risky job of okada.

    Facts, he said, showed that the rate of okada related accidents and okada related crimes have dropped across the state, adding that these should be supported and strengthened.

    About two weeks ago, the Lagos State House of Assembly initiated moves to amend the Schedule II of the Lagos State Traffic Law 2012, restricting okada operation on the highways, 495 major roads, bridges and pedestrian walkways.

    Citing continued operators’ complaints of harassment, extortion and confiscation of their motorcycles even on approved routes by policemen, the law makers, in a resolution, urged Governor Babatunde Fashola to prevail on the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, (who was then the Commissioner of Police), to order his men to stop apprehending operators, pending the amendment to the law.

    The government distanced itself from the move as the Commissioner of Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, denied government’s knowledge of the proposed amendment.

    He said: “Okada business is not a decent job, it is not unionised and not pensionable. I admit that people go into it because of economic pressure, but there was a time in this country when okada was never an option. Let us go back to that era. Let us collectively say no to okada as a form of transportation.

  • Rail workers demand more pay

    Some  trainee-staff of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), have appealed to the Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, for a salary review.

    The workers who are undergoing technical and vocational education training, said their N15,000 salary  is poor.

    One of them said they may review their stand to suspend the strike which was arrived at, on the strength of Tukur’s intervention, if the management failed to meet their demand.

    “Based on Tukur’s intervention, our leaders gave the management one month grace, which will elapse on August 28, to enable them act on our demand,” one of them who did not want his name mentioned said.

    The workers  spoke after the flag-off of the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P)-funded Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) for the 1,800 workers to service the Lagos-Kano route.

    At the event which took place at the Railway Training Institute in  Ebute-Metta, Lagos Mainland, Tukur however assured of the board’s commitment to their welfare.

    “The board, and management of the NRC place high premium on staff training and welfare, as this is the best way to enhance productivity and results” he said.

    The training cut across major departments such as train operations, track maintenance, mechanical, electrical, signalling and telecommunications.

    He said the new set of workers would take over from the aging and retiring workforce.

    Tukur charged the workers to apply their skills to improve the corporation’s fortunes, promising that they would continue to receive  trainings to support ongoing efforts to rehabilitate and modernise railway.

    NRC Managing Director Adeseyi Sijuwade said the training confirmed government’s transformation agenda for the railway sector, a consolidation of the huge investments in the rehabilitation of tracks and procurement of modern rolling stock.

    He said: “Given the Federal Government’s huge investment in rehabilitation of tracks and procurement of rolling stock, it became absolutely important to continuously train and develop the human resources that will be required to man the railway assets and that is why the corporation is collaborating with SURE-P in organising a training programme for the new cadre of NRC staff on Grade Level 04 to 06.”

    The first phase of the training is designed for over 1,800 workers recruited for the Western Line he said, while the second phase would train another 1,600 workers new staff who would be deployed on the Eastern Line.

    Sijuwade praised the Fedral Government for the sustained resuscitation of the railway pointing out that the sector would need more financial support to actualise the transformation agenda.

    He said the corporation would take delivery of five 68-seater air conditioned coaches next month, which would be deployed to the Eastern line corridor which rehabilitation is nearing completion.

    TVET Coordinator Mr. John Sokwa said the SURE-P intervention has created 5,000 jobs across all sectors in the last three years, adding that the agency’s intervention in the railway would ensure that many youths get firsthand experience of other cultures as they would be deployed  on the Lagos-Kano route.

    Former President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Mr Peter Esele said the SURE-P intervention would not only lead to fundamental transformation of the railway but would create jobs for the teeming youth and strengthen the economy.

    Esele praised President Goodluck Jonathan for his commitment to transforming the railway, which he described as the ‘mother’ of workers’ unionism in the country.