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Tag: motor parks

  • Yuletide: TRACE to begin advocacy in motor parks 

    The Mowe/Ibafo Unit Command of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) will on Monday commence door-to-door advocacy at all motor parks along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

    The exercise, according to the  Divisional Commander, Olusola Ojuoro, is aimed at sensitising road users, namely, motorists, passengers, okada riders and  pedestrians on the importance of obeying traffic rules and embarking on defensive driving culture to prevent road accidents during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

    The programme, he said, was in accordance with Corps Commander Abdulfatai Olaseni Ogunyemi’s directives to make the highways safer during the festive period.

    Ojuoro spoke on Thursday shortly after the removal of damaged vehicles obstructing the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway causing a very traffic snarl.

    He said the motor park advocacy would further make the road users strictly adhere to traffic rules during the rushing hours.

    He said the park advocacy /campaign would feature rallies, distribution of safety flyers and controlling of traffic, among others.

    According to Ojuoro, the corps had deployed enough personnel and equipment to patrol the critical corridors such as the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway for quick interventions and evacuations of obstructions on roads.

    He implored motorists to be patient while driving, adding that Julius Berger had planned to open some diversions on the highways on December 22 to further ease the free flow of traffic.

    He urged motorists to avoid drunk driving, overloading, excess speeding, wrongful overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol and fatigue.

  • Ekiti election: Motor parks busy as passengers travel home

    Motor parks in Ado-Ekiti on Friday became beehive of activity with eligible voters travelling out of the state Ekiti state capital to travel to their different homes to ‎cast their votes in the July 14 governorship election in the state.

    It was gathered it that the popular Ilesa Park, Old Garage Park, and Ikere park all located in Ado-Ekiti were filled with passengers, most of who are voters.

    Investigations showed that few buses were available to convey voters and other passengers as most of the buses had been booked by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Read Also:Ekiti 2018: Voters receive cash, gifts from ‘politicians’

    One of the commercial drivers, Mr. Omololu Gbenga who spoke to the media, a lot of people had been traveling to their ‎ homes to vote in the exercise as early as 8 a.m.

    He explained that the voters were traveling because most of them registered in their towns.

    “I have been travelling ‎to Oye, Efon and Aramoko since morning and most of my passengers are those clamouring to visit their towns to vote.

    “I pray this election is conducted free and fair because our people are suffering and we need to vote for the right leader,” he said.

    Another commercial driver, Mr. Omolade Tayo, said most of the passengers were interested in traveling to their towns to vote and collect money from some of the politicians.

    He said virtually all the motor parks in Ado-Ekiti had been busy ‎but that transport fare had not increased.

    Mr Ogundare Bisi, also a commercial driver, said he had more passengers traveling to their various towns to participate in the election either as observers or as an electorate.

    A passenger, Mrs Owolabi Folasade, who also spoke with NAN, said she decided to travel to her hometown to cast her vote for the governorship candidate of her choice.

    Other passengers said they decided to travel to their homes to participate in the exercise because they did not want to be disenfranchised.

    NAN

  • National library to take reading campaigns to motor parks

    National Library of Nigeria plans to take reading campaigns to motor parks in the country, the National Libarian/Chief Executive Officer Prof Lenrie Aina has said.

    Prof Aina added that the extension of reading campaigns to motor parks is to enlighten drivers and would-be travelers on the benefits of reading.

    This according to him will make drivers and would-be travelers realise that through reading, they would be able to assimilate and observe traffic rules and regulations.

    “Passengers would equally be tutored on the need to read books and newspapers while traveling to reduce stress and boredom in the cause of their journeys,” he said.

    The national librarian said this in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital at the reading promotion campaign organised by the board.

    Read Also:National library partners NYSC to promote reading culture

    He added that “in the present dispensation, which is part of the scope of this year’s campaign, books will be distributed to expectant women in some selected hospitals during ante-natal days for mothers to read to their unborn babies.

    “The National Library of Nigeria is strengthened to pursue this line of action by taking a clue from renowned writer and child psychologist M.M Sabah.

    “While our target this year is primary, secondary schools and pregnant women, i will want to make it clear that the objective is to cover the whole strata of the Nigerian society.

    “Similarly, to broaden the campaign strategy, we are engaging the forum of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to establish reading clubs in their orientation camps and places of primary assignments across the country. This is to ensure that Nigerians cultivate reading culture.

    In addition, because of the enormity of this assignment, we would in the future collaborate with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) of Nigeria to spread the gospel of promoting reading on the citizenry.”

    Prof Aina said that the objectives of the campaign are to encourage reading among Nigerians, promoting the increase of reading materials in Nigeria and identifying major obstacles that inhibit reading and ways of addressing them.

  • Lagos to stop sales of alcohol, hemp at motor parks

    Lagos to stop sales of alcohol, hemp at motor parks

    •Public smokers for trial

    Lagos State Government is working with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to flush out Indian Hemp and alcohol sellers at motor parks.

    Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Chief Executive Officer Christian Olakpe made this known at a Public Education and Enlightenment Programme held by LASTMA for articulated vehicles at Naval Park, Marine Beach, Apapa, Lagos.

    He said driving under the influence of alcohol and drug abuse were major causes of accidents by articulated vehicles, adding that LASTMA will not fail to enforce traffic laws.

    Olakpe said: “We are planning to partner with NDLEA to flush out these hangers-around who sell drugs and alcoholic drinks to them (drivers) anywhere we see them. We have also told them that when they are strapping their cargoes, they should strap them well and they should drive with reasonable speed.

    “LASTMA is coming with full enforcement because we are going to include court processes, ticketing and impounding vehicles, penalising erring motorists. It will be very tough and total for those who don’t want to key into the change mantra of traffic law of Lagos.”

    Lagos State chapter of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Publicity Secretary Comrade Tayo Aboyeji hailed LASTMA for the programme, saying it is coming at the right time and will complement the association’s efforts.

    Also yesterday, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) General Manager Bola Shabi said those who smoke in public would, henceforth, be prosecuted.

    Shabi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that this would ensure high standard of safety in public places and ensure a sound well-being for residents.

    He hoped that before the end of June, public smoking would have been reduced.

    “People have started reducing their smoking habits in open places especially due to health reasons,’’ he said.

    Shabi said those who did not comply with the directed would be sanctioned.

    The General Manager said LASEPA had also warned events’ centre owners against indulging their customers on public smoking, stating that they must paste a non-smoking sign in such facilities

  • Shooting as rivals clash over motor parks in Warri

    Shooting as rivals clash over motor parks in Warri

    There was confusion yesterday in Uvwie and parts of Warri South local government areas of Delta State when a group said to be loyal to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa attempted to take over the leadership of Uvwie Public Motor Park.

    Okowa’s loyalists clashed with another group said to be loyal to the Chairman of Uvwie Local Government Area, Henry Baro.

    Both groups reportedly engaged in a gun battle.

    The gun battle was said to have spread to other motor parks in the local government area.

    Eyewitnesses said there were serious exchanges of gunshots yesterday at motor parks near Jakpa Junction, Effunrun Roundabout and the main park on the Effunrun/Sapele Expressway.

    Yesterday’s hostilities disrupted economic and sundry activities in the area and parts of Warri South Local Government Area.

    Shops were shut, especially in areas close to the hostile zones.

    The violence at Uvwie was linked to the cold relationship between Baro and a member of the House of Representatives, Evelyn Oboro.

    The lawmaker, a close ally of the governor, is said to have disputed the election of the member representing Uvwie in the House of Assembly.

    At the end of yesterday’s confrontation, the faction loyal to Okowa, led by Francis Ariyor, who contested the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) local government chairmanship ticket with Baro in the party’s primaries last year, had displaced Baro’s loyalists, led by Napoleon Adibu.

    It was learnt that the new development was part of the plot to remove Baro, who has been at loggerheads with Oboro.

    A statement by the Uvwie Local Government’s Secretary, Uvwie Emete Julius, urged the residents to go about their lawful duties.

    It said the local government’s authorities would resolve the disputes.

    The statement said: “The attention of Uvwie Local Government Authority has been drawn to the incursion of some persons into the Uvwie Central Motor Park this morning.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the Constitution, in Schedule Four, Section One and sub-section E vests the powers to establish and manage motor parks in local government areas. Consequently, the chairman, Henry Baro, on March 20, established the Uvwie Public Motor Management Committee vide a letter…

    “The headship and/or chairmanship of the aforementioned committee was placed on Comrade Napoleon Adibu. He is still recognised as such.”

    Police spokesman Celestina Kalu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the command acted on intelligence report that hoodlums were plotting to shut down the council.

    She said some suspects had been arrested over the shooting.