Ogun State government, on Friday, organised a seminar for commercial drivers to educate and sensitise them on road safety. The one day seminar which was held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, the State capital was attended by members of the various transport unions and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE).
The programme was put together by the State Interim Committee on Transportation in conjunction with Tunes Communication Ltd.
The Sector Commander of FRSC in the State, Clement Oladele while addressing the participants, disclosed that his agency was projecting that no fewer than 16 million passengers will travel on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway during the festive period.
Oladele added his agency had put all necessary measures in place to ensure the safety of passengers during the festive period.
He also disclosed that between December last year to January this year, no fewer than one million and eight vehicles plied the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, adding that 72 per cent of the vehicles were commercial vehicles.
Oladele advised the participants (drivers) that, for their safety and that of their passengers, they should always obey traffic rules, avoid excessive speeding and dangerous overtaking. He urged the drivers to cooperate with FRSC officials in carrying out their duties, stressing that his men were not on the road to create panic or fear but to ensure the safety of all the road users.
His words, “We don’t want people to be afraid of the FRSC, we want people to come and even give ways we could serve them better and even, we don’t always book offenders when they commit offences”.His words, “We don’t want people to be afraid of the FRSC, we want people to come and even give ways we could serve them better and even, we don’t always book offenders when they commit offences”.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tunes Communication, Tunde Oladunjoye in his brief remark said, the purpose of the programme was to educate and sensitise road users in the State. He added that programme became imperative because of the heavy vehicular movement in the State, especially during festive periods.
He said, “Our dear State is a very important State when it comes to land transportation in Nigeria. The busiest road in Nigeria, the Lagos-Ibadan expressway passes through Ogun State. You cannot leave Lagos, the heart of commerce in Nigeria to go to any State by land without passing through Ogun State and that makes it important to educate and sensitise road safety agencies, transport unions in the State.”
He added, “Road safety is everyday business and that is the reason why we feel it is necessary to bring the unions together to sensitise them.
Oladunjoye commended the State government for ensuring that there is peace among the various transport unions in the State.
Governor Dapo Abiodun in his address, urged the participants to make the best use of the knowledge gained during the seminar. The Governor who spoke through his Deputy, Mrs. Noimot Salako-Oyedele also appealed to motorists to see the officials of the FRSC and the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) as their partners and not enemies.
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