23rd October, 2012
Commercial bus drivers and conductors will begin to wear uniforms and badges as from January 2012, says the Lagos State Government.
Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa disclosed this at the weekend at a sensitisation programme for transporters on the new Road Traffic Law at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
Thousands of transporters had converged on the Auditorium, where they were sensitised on the dos and don’ts of the new law.
According to Opeifa, from 1 January, all commercial bus drivers and conductors would begin to wear uniforms and badges in line with the provision of the traffic law.
He explained that the state government wants to sanitise commercial road transportation in the state so that operators in the sector could be proud of their job while quacks would be eliminated.
While noting that attacks on BRT buses had gone down, the commissioner appealed to members of road transport unions in the state to desist from attacking BRT buses in the state.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, declared that the state Road Traffic Law was not intended to be another source of revenue generation for the state government, stressing that the law was rather enacted for public good and to protect the interest of the citizens.
Ipaye stated that the penalties for road traffic offences were to serve as a deterrent to road traffic offenders thereby guaranteeing safety on the roads.
He called on law enforcement agents to always seek how they could assist road users to comply with traffic rules rather than focusing on arresting of people on flimsy excuses.
The commissioner enjoined members of the public who feel unjustly arrested or penalised for traffic offences by security agents to report such law enforcement agents to relevant authorities of the state government or seek redress in court.
To further assure Lagosians of the sincerity of the state government on the law, the Attorney-General stated that indigent members of the public who were aggrieved by their arrest and penalties imposed on them on account of traffic offences could approach the Office of Public Defender which would defend them free of charge.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Ibirogba urged them to first comply with the law, insisting that in any civilised society there must be rules and regulations which must be obeyed for there to be peace and order.
Special Adviser to the State Governor on Political and Legislative Powers, Muslim Folami, stated that the sensitization programme was aimed at educating members of the road transport unions on their rights and obligations under the road traffic law so as to facilitate compliance to the law.