The Lagos State Government says it would begin enforcement of a section of the road traffic law which restricts commuter bus drivers from driving for more than eight hours at a stretch daily.
Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa disclosed this at the weekend at a news conference heralding the National Council on Transportation conference which kicked off today and would end on Friday at the Lagos City Hall, Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
According to Opeifa, section 44 of the Road Traffic Law bars commuter bus drivers from driving for eight hours at a stretch, saying that government would begin enforcement of the new law in January 2014.
He said many commuter bus drivers did not know that such a pprovision exists in the traffic law, saying that the next phase is to register all commuter bus drivers, conductors and owners of such vehicles so that through the registration, the drivers could be monitored effectively to ensure compliance with the 8 hours work rule and other aspects of the traffic law.
“With the development, no driver would be allowed to drive beyond 8 hours at a stretch, while owners of the commercial vehicles would be made to get insurance that will cover their passengers. Commercial drivers and their conductors would also begin to appear in registered uniform and badges for proper identification by the public.
“To be regulated also is the number of passengers who stand in the buses particularly, the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, while no commercial vehicle would be allowed to ply routes not registered for by the government.
“Smoking and eating while driving within the state would attract N20, 000-N30,000 in accordance with the provision of the law for first and second offenders respectively,” Opeifa stated.
According to him, this development is to sustain security and safety already established in the state by the state traffic law, adding that accreditation of the owners of the commuter buses was to ensure that all operators were captured in government’s data base to curtail atrocities and crimes committed with the use of unregistered commercial vehicles.
“With these moves, we want to curtail kidnapping, robberies and other forms of crimes perpetrated by the continuous usage of unregistered vehicles for commercial purposes. We are out to tackle the issue of ‘one chance’ headlong.
“Also, the situation where the drivers and their conductors dress shabbily would be checked with the introduction uniform and badges for them. We are also re-introducing routine system for them. They will only ply only route boldly written on their buses,” he said.
On the 13th National Council on Transportation meeting being hosted by Lagos, Opeifa said the programme was organised to ensure adequate improvement in the transportation system, identify opportunities within the sector and promote various modes of transportation.
The commissioner disclosed that the theme of this year’s conference is: Transformation of Transport Infrastructure: Catalyst for Socio-Economic Growth.
The conference by the council, which comprises all commissioners of transportation in Nigeria, would be chaired by the Minister of Transport, while Governor Babatunde Fashola would be the chief host of the event.
He said the event would be in two sessions-the technical and the National Council meeting, saying that the technical session would be headed by the Federal Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation.
Opeifa said the state government had made adequate preparations to ensure that this year’s meeting was unique as many private organizations were partnering with the government in this regard.
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Wonderful. Are they going to be running shifts or all buses should disappear from the roads at 2pm so that workers can trek home at 5 pm? Our laws should have a human face.
ReplyDeleteWhy is Edu absent?
ReplyDeleteHe. Should wait for his time .
Wicked soul.
He will never get there.
This is not necessary at all, will u also regulate people that travel not to drive 8hrs stretch?
ReplyDeleteWe need roads, pls do our roads, i spend 9 hours daily on the road just to go to work and back as if am traveling, pls provide roads, thank you.
They are not serious. Instead of facing the challenges of bad road from Oke-afa to Ikotun they are after the commuter bus drivers to run shift. Are they the owner of these buses or borrow them money to buy these buses.
ReplyDeleteAnother way of exploiting commercial buses and at the end the passengers will bear the cost. Transport fares will definitely increase. Na waooooo
ReplyDeletePeople should support ideas like this. Lets look at the big picture.....the idea is awesome if attended to properly. I suppport the idea. If anyone has lost a dear one to one chance or have been victim of one chance, you will keep into the motive. Also, it will bring sanity into transport system in lagos and the health of the drivers will improve because that way they can rest after long driving and accidents due to fatigued driver will reduce
ReplyDeleteA good measure to checkmate crime in Lagos. The state where i was born and raised. That's the #1 state i Nigeria with government officials working. Not the CLUELESS GEJ's FG and some STATE governments that have nothing to offer. Amaechi is trying in Rivers where I am now. Lagos is indeed working. "Eko oni baje o"
ReplyDeleteSupport what rubbish? Why is it difficult for the state government to chase away 'area boys' at the different bus stops? But the Lagos State government could deport Ibos in the name of destitutes and nobody saw anything wrong about that? Another way of exploiting commercial buses and at the end the passengers will bear the cost. Transport fares will definitely increase. Internal revenue na waooooo....
ReplyDeleteI bet half of the people commenting here has not read the article. Let alone understand what is therein. What the Comm for Transportation said is no bus driver should drive for more than 8 hours at a stretch. Even the FRSC handbook clearly states that if your have drove continually for 4 hours, your MUST take at least 15 minutes break before you continue the journey. It is all about the safety of the commuters and not poor-rich divide as most comments connote.
ReplyDeleteeko onibaje oooooooo
ReplyDelete8 hours? What about d long distance commercial buses(ie Lagos to PH) that drives more than 10hrs? Well, they had better tell them to close 4pm like d civil servants. This is nothing but a measure to increased internally generated revenue. Basically transport fear will surely increase because of d associated
ReplyDeletePayments. Lagos na wa!
How many hours do we rest inside the traffic? Total rubbish! Another method for internal revenue to be generated...
ReplyDeleteNa small small. Poor man go soon leave lagos go village. Up APC Up devils.
ReplyDeleteThe Lagos state government has done what Napoleon could not do. He has repaired road!!! It is now time to manage the road. Lol
lagos is becoming unbearable for citizens. lagos is becoming a money making state and yet no gud facilities. if the governor wants pple 2leave he shld say so. very soon 2 couhg one has 2 register and pay. its a shame.
ReplyDelete