NURTW supports Lagos Traffic Law

•Governor Fashola (in bow tie), Mrs Orelope-Adefulire, Alhaji Yasin (second left), Alhaji Tomori, Chief Olaoye (second right). Back row: Special Advicer on Information Lateef Raji (left), Dr. Ahmed, Mr. Ibirogba and Mr. Watkur...yesterday

LAGOS got yesterday a major support for its new traffic law.
The National Union of Road Transport Workers pledged to   cooperate with the government to ensure full implementation of the law, which has been controversial. It punishes eating and telephone calls while driving, among other penalties.
The president of the union, Alhaji Najeen Usman Yasin, who made the pledge at Lagos House, Ikeja, while on a visit to Governor,  Babatunde Fashola, said members of the union would remain law abiding. 
Yasin, who led other top officials of the national body of the union on the visit, noted that the Fashola administration had, through its people-orientated policies, especially in the transport sector, enabled the union to prosper by establishing a mass transit operation. 
He told the Governor: “Implementation of the BRT scheme by the union has, apart from assisting our union to acquire vehicles for mass transit operations, also gone a long way towards boosting public transport and accessibility to safe and secure road transportation in the State.”  
The President praised the Ministry of Transport , LAGBUS and the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) for working assiduously to fashion out modes of operation of the mass transit buses through the objective selection of routes and locations so as to ensure ease of administration, deployment, maintenance and convenience of prospective passengers. 
According to him, because of the enabling environment created by the Fashola administration, the union was able to immediately deploy to Lagos some of the buses allocated to it early this year by the Federal Government to cushion the effect of the withdrawal of oil subsidy. The decision was also informed by the fact that Lagos is the economic capital of Nigeria, he said. 
Replying, Fashola urged the union members to be champions of the change that the state is bringing about through the Traffic law, because, according to him, “you are the greatest beneficiaries”. 
The only way to succeed with the new law is for the members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers to play within the rules as provided in the law and not outside it,” Fashola said.  
The law, according to the governor, does not seek to punish anyone but to ensure that sanity is restored on the highways. What many people do not realise is that each time a vehicle drives against traffic, the resultant traffic congestion results in loss of man hours. 
He explained that contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the new Lagos Traffic law has not banned the activities of the NURTW but has only directed that all activities of transport unions be conducted in the union offices. 
His words: “Just as professional associations like lawyers and accountants collect their dues from their members in an organised manner, devoid of running after them publicly, the same should now apply to the transport unions who must stop using the motor parks and bus stops for collecting dues from operators.”
Fashola, who expressed dismay that motor parks have been seized by touts who misbehave while the parks have become selling points for alcohol and drugs, went on: “It is in the best interest of the transport unions to support the government initiative as that will assist the government in identifying touts who operate in the motor parks but masquerade as transport union officials and allow the law to take its natural course as it affects them.”
The Governor, who commended the union for the visit and kind words by the President pointed out, The NURTW is a critical stakeholder in the transport sector just as the government realizes that it is its responsibility to provide road infrastructure”, adding that it is also the duty of the union to ensure its sustenance. 
He reiterated that when the government builds roads, it is for the prosperity of those in the transport sector, stressing that as such businesses expand, there must be a corresponding sense of responsibility shown to the commuters who travel through the roads. 
Reiterating that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) blue buses belong to the NURTW while the operation is only being regulated by the government, Fashola said:  “As a way forward, the government has included a BRT dedicated lane on the Lagos Badagry Expressway which is being expanded into a-10 lane super highway”. 
The same has been done on Mile 12-Ikorodu Road, which is about to be built, just as the government has also designed Ikorodu township  to have a BRT dedicated bus lane. 
The Governor expressed  gladness that companies have started engaging lawyers to train their drivers on the provisions of the new law and urged the unions to also ensure that their drivers are trained at the Drivers Training Institute which has been equipped for such tasks. 
The governor defended the provision that all articulated vehicles, except tankers, can only move from 9pm on Lagos roads, saying that it is aimed at bringing back sanity to the roads. 
Present during the visit were the Deputy Governor, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, members of the State Executive Council, including the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, Information and Strategy, Mr Lateef Ibirogba, Works and Infrastructure, Dr Femi Hamzat, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Ademorin Kuye and Special Duties, Dr Wale Ahmed. Among members of the National EXCO of the NURTW on the visit were National Vice President, Alhaji Adegboyega Tomori, Deputy General Secretary, Chief John Olaoye and General Secretary of the Union, Mr. Clement Watkur among others.