[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.]

«§» 11 November 2013

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.

Opeifa warned that by January next year, government would not have mercy on any bus driver who failed to register, as his vehicle would be impounded for breaching 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.

~ PM News

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Posted: at 11-11-2013 04:59 PM (10 years ago) | Hero

Sounds like a good move. However the Nigeria police force is not one for enforcing law and order when people who break the law. They could spoil the good plans of the governor!

Posted: at 11-11-2013 07:19 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Na dem sabi

Posted: at 11-11-2013 07:31 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Lots of commuters to be stranded come then, NURTW to become useless as well, no more agbero's on the road as well

Posted: at 11-11-2013 07:34 PM (10 years ago) | Upcoming

wahala dey..

Posted: at 11-11-2013 08:15 PM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

good move

Posted: at 11-11-2013 09:11 PM (10 years ago) | Hero

No be small thing ooo !

Posted: at 11-11-2013 09:49 PM (10 years ago) | Hero

  ..ajanni wahala dey ooh..

Posted: at 11-11-2013 09:54 PM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Does Lagos state even have the manpower or resources to enforce these rules?

Posted: at 11-11-2013 10:16 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

 

Posted: at 11-11-2013 10:28 PM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Hmmmmmm

Posted: at 12-11-2013 12:47 AM (10 years ago) | Hero

I love what this man is doing in Lagos.

Other governors should minimize looting and allow their brain to think of something that'll benefit the masses.

Posted: at 12-11-2013 05:39 AM (10 years ago) | Hero

Nice ideal but mr Opeifa, d part I will not agree wit u in dis is d 8hr working time. Do u kn pple leave their house as early as 3.30am jt to get to office on time cus of traffic. If u reduce d bus on d road, then there will be catastophy.

I pray they are able to get ll d drivers register. It will curb one chance and ritualist.

Posted: at 12-11-2013 05:56 AM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Senseless move, they wanna do the work of road safety, plot to extort money

Posted: at 12-11-2013 07:41 AM (10 years ago) | Newbie

serious plot to extort money indeed... They should concern themselves in fixing all the deadly potholes all over Lagos road... and if possible deport the so called agberos on the b/stop and make sure that there so call Lasma just dont stand and send there pimp to collect money from commercial drivers @ each b/stop, by so doing allows them to obstruct free flow traffic at each and every b/stop..........  Moreover it would b a welcome idea if it's probably done and not just another mode of operation to generate funds for the state cos Lagos state is number in looking for every means to extort money from it residents...

Posted: at 12-11-2013 09:27 AM (10 years ago) | Newbie

Talking what you know is not possible in nigerian.

Posted: at 12-11-2013 11:50 AM (10 years ago) | Upcoming

hmmm

Posted: at 12-11-2013 12:11 PM (10 years ago) | Hero

 

Posted: at 12-11-2013 03:54 PM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

ok

Posted: at 12-11-2013 06:38 PM (10 years ago) | Hero

all of una wey dey shout good move or good work,,I hope say no be for lagos una dey live,,or if una live for lagos una no dey take public transport cuz wen una go see the out come of wetin opeifa dey plan,,,na una go first begin dey complain,,,,dis same opeifa was booed out by Lagosians on the commemoration of human right activist some months back bcuz of the way he take dey handle public transport sector in Lagos...first of all make una wait for a huge increment in trasport fare cuz na una go pay am

Posted: at 12-11-2013 07:19 PM (10 years ago) | Hero

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