Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos
November 27, 2015 – Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi and others have canvassed for integrated transport system and strict enforcement of traffic laws as the only way to solve traffic gridlock in Lagos.
Speaking on “Tackling Current, Evolving And Future Traffic Management Needs Of Lagos State”, at the traffic summit put together by the state governor Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Oyeyemi said 30 percent of vehicular density emanates from Lagos and that most of the freights.
“We have other means, intra –modal system, most especially rail and water and if the water and rail are effectively put to use the present traffic will be abated.
“We have to diversify our means of transportation in Nigeria, 90 percent of transportation system in the country today is by road and Lagos accounts for about 70 percent of importation network in Nigeria. We really have a major problem, Lagos is a mega city by every standard. It is 11 in mega city ranking in the world. It has a population of about 21 million people according to United Nations population data.
“In Nigeria today Lagos is the most economically important state, as commercial nerve center of the country a lot need to be done. That means the intra-modal networks, need to be revisited and improved upon”, he said.
According to him, there is need to create parks outside the city and ensure that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is very effective, stressig that noise pollution is much.
“I think few years ago Lagos introduced horn free day I think some of these things need to be looked into. We must collaborate, look at the best practices.
“A lot need to be in terms of regulations enforcement training and there is need for synergy in the area of enforcement. Ninety percent of the trucks in Nigeria today are over 30 years and they are rickety always breaking down on the roads contributing to our problems.
“We have Vehicle Inspection Officers in Lagos, these trucks as rickety as they are have valid road worthiness. They should impound and removed them from our roads. We need full enforcement. Enforcement is the solution your excellency, ” he said.
Also speaking in the same vain, Professor Olukayode Oyesiku of Olabisi Onabanjo University who has over 30 years experience in transport planning lamented inability of the state government to explore the use of waterways, saying that is why armed robbers have taken to the use of waterways for their operations.
“Managing the existing road facilities, I belong to the school of thought of making sure that we improve the efficiency and improving the efficiency is a function of management we must manage the demand. New constructions all the time does not out rightly reduce the volume of traffic. Because we have the highways, traffic and to that particular extent we must face the demand aspect, in terms of why do we have to build this. We need transportation integration.
“Part of what led to the early collapse of traffic at the time the present governor came in was the total collapse of enforcement for one reason or the other. No matter how beautiful your highways, flyovers, law enforcement is key in traffic management system which is continuum. Management approaches also involves reengineering and reconstruction of road infrastructure.”
In his paper, Dr. Gboyega Banjo, a traffic management expert who worked with the World Bank for 17 years now a consultant on transportation stressed the need for urban renewal and strict enforcement of the law in tackling the current traffic problems in the state by improving on the present infrastructure.
Earlier , Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode assured the people of the state of his strong political will to take tough decisions and implement effective strategies to bring about a robust traffic management system in the state.
Ambode said as a government, his administration is keenly committed to make Lagos work for all, adding that effective traffic management, for him, is a good place to start.
“Lagos, in many ways, is a victim of its own success as many people leave other states and travel to Lagos seeking better opportunities. More Nigerians want to reside in Lagos and this obviously comes with some challenges.
“As one of the leading commercial centres and an emerging City-State, we need to go back to the drawing board and agree on how our transportation sector can be effectively and efficiently operated to support the kind of trade and investment we want to continually attract.
“We need to collectively examine how transportation sector can improve public sector delivery through better institutional framework, quality transport infrastructure and then tackle wasteful and socially harmful transport patterns. You will agree with me that the ease of travelling, mobility and communication are critical fuels for our State economic engine,” he said.