Fashola Explains New Traffic Law

Governor  Babatunde
Fashola of Lagos State last Thursday said that the objective of the new Lagos
Traffic Law was not to generate revenue from fines, but to ensure safety and
order on the roads.

Fashola made the remark while addressing traders and
transport workers at the state government-organised Motor Park Safety and
Health Programme at the Iyana Ipaja Motor Park.

He said criticisms that the law was promulgated to make
money was unfounded, adding that the ultimate objective was the prosperity of
the state and its residents.

“Some people have said we made this law because we want to
make money, but the question is how much money can we make from violators?

“How much money can we really make? This is not about
politics, it is about your lives. How much fines can we get? The fines cannot
fund the budget of the state.

“But your prosperity, your growth can develop the economy of
Lagos in a much more fundamental way. That is the big picture that we see,”
Fashola said.

He urged residents, especially transport workers, to comply
with the provisions of the law, saying the success of the legislation would be
determined by voluntary compliance.

The governor also counselled transport workers against
intake of alcohol and hard drugs before and during driving, saying this had
significantly contributed to cases of road accidents in the state.

He said the state, through traffic officials, would begin to
administer breathalyser on drivers, to check the alcoholic content of their
blood, to ensure they were fit to convey passengers safely.

“We have designed this safety and health programme for our
transport workers because they are a critical stakeholders in our transport
sector,and that’s why we are taking it to the motor parks and garages.

“This is the third park I have been to.I was at Ojota and
Iddo Motor Parks. Now I am at Iyana Ipaja and the journey continues.

“The programme, apart from sensitising drivers on safety
issues, also provides an opportunity for them to screen for diseases like
Hypertension and Diabetes that could undermine their job.

“We urge our transport workers to take advantage of this
programme and do what is right all the time and we hope that they would spread
the message to others,“ he said.

Dr Jide Idris, the state Commissioner for Health, said the
results of screenings at motor parks across the state revealed that a good
number of drivers took hard drugs and alcohol and suffered from serious health
problems.

Mr Kayode Opeifa, the Commissioner for Transport, said a
good number of accidents were caused by non-adherence to traffic regulations,
especially by commercial drivers.

Mr Seeni Agbetu, Managing Director, Guinness Nigeria Ltd.,
said his organisation was interested in responsible drinking at motorparks,
especially as drunk driving was a major killer in the country.