18th February, 2017
Acting Commissioner for Transportation, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, while launching the 36 vehicles, which include 25 pick-up vans, 11 Nissan cars and 20 power bikes, said the equipment were to aid the operations of VIS officers in Lagos.
He said that with the support of the state government, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode expected better performance from the VIS, especially in the area of enforcement, adding that though compliance was improving but that with the new vehicles, the VIS enforcement efforts would be better enhanced.
“I am bold and confident to say that these vehicles and power bikes we are about to launch will continue to enhance the performance of VIS towards promotion of safety and security of motorists and commuters alike by ensuring vehicles on our roads are in good conditions with regular checks on them,” he said.
Elegushi urged VIS personnel to see government’s support as good gesture and put the vehicles and power bikes into judicious use.
He stated that the state government under the present administration had continued to provide equipment and infrastructure in the state to meet up with various challenges facing the state in order to manage and surmount them.
According to him, the present administration had the mandate to ensure that challenges were adequately resolved and that policies were introduced to strengthen existing ones to provide institutional support for enhancing effective discharge of the various programmes and for operating the transport sector properly in the state.
Elegushi also pleaded with the citizens to continue to play their part in making Lagos a pride of place, as government could not do it alone.
The Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer, Lagos State, Engr. Gbolahan Toriola, maintained that the VIS was ready to take enforcement more seriously and that the body was ready to cover more areas now.
He said the VIS was also ready to impound vehicles emitting fumes across the state, as such vehicles did not befit Lagos’ aspiration to be Africa’s model megacity, that is safe, secured, functional and productive.
Toriola appealed to motorists to ensure that their vehicles were in good shape, beside having the right documents for their vehicles.
However, the acting commissioner also inspected the Ojodu Computerized Vehicle Inspection Centre for testing the integrity of vehicles to ascertain their road worthiness.
-Kazeem Ugbodaga