FRSC PARTNERS LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT ON TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

As part of the ongoing efforts by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and its strategic partners in reducing the rate of crashes and fatalities in the country, the FRSC and Lagos state government have agreed to sustain the existing collaboration towards effective management of traffic in Lagos state. This was the outcome of the meeting between the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi and the Lagos state Commissioner of Transport and his counterpart in
the Tourism Ministry during the Corps Marshal’s advocacy visit to them at the state Secretariat, Alaausa.

According to Head, Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Marshal and the two Commissioners expressed concern at the perennial traffic challenges facing Lagos, especially the gridlocks being witnessed at the Apapa area of the state. Accordingly, they restated collective commitment towards redressing the situation, pointing out that in view of the strategic nature of Lagos state to the socio-economic activities of the country, the importance of effective traffic management to trade and tourism cannot be overemphasised.

The Corps particularly promised to do all that is possible to ensure sustained collaboration between FRSC and the state in finding lasting solutions to the gridlocks being witnessed in the state. According to him, Lagos state harbours the highest percentage of traffic in the country, saying that anything that hinders free movement of people and goods in the state must have negative effects on the socio-economic activities of the people of the state.

While applauding former Governor Bola Tinubu for setting up the Lagos state traffic management agency, the Corps Marshal noted that his vision has paid off handsomely as the agency has been useful in managing the chaotic traffic challenges facing the state. Oyeyemi further noted the current Governor has continued to sustain the collaboration between the state and the FRSC, pointing out that his road safety friendly policies have cemented the existing relationship.

“I must commend the partnership initiatives of Governor Ambode towards finding lasting solutions to the traffic challenges of the state. We would work to ensure that the spirit is sustained in the interest of the motoring public in the state,” Oyeyemi stated.

In his own remarks, the Commissioner of Transport, Dr Dayo Mobereola assured the Corps Marshal of the preparedness of his Ministry to collaborate with the FRSC in finding lasting solutions to the perennial traffic challenges. He commended the Corps Marshal for stepping up advocacy programmes among road transporters and drivers, pointing out that the efforts have impacted positively on the traffic situations across the country, especially in curtailing the excesses of tanker and trailer drivers.

Speaking in the same vein, the Commissioner for Tourism, Mr Folarin Coker identified the harmony between effective traffic management and boosting of tourism, noting that tourism can hardly thrive in an environment where traffic movement is chaotic. While expressing optimism that the collaboration between the FRSC and the state government in ensuring effective traffic management in the state will yield positive results in road safety and tourism development, the Commissioner assured of his Ministry’s support to the initiatives in order to make the state roads free of gridlocks.

Earlier on, the Corps Marshal appeared on a live television programme at the Lagos State Television Ikeja, where he featured on a Magazine programme, “Towards Ensuring Safety on Our Roads,” as part of the ongoing public sensitisation programmes by the FRSC to reduce carnage during this year’s yuletide period.