Some motorists and
commuters in Lagos on Saturday expressed divergent views on the commencement of registration of commercial bus drivers, their assistants and bus owners in the state.
In an interviews with newsmen, some lauded the state government’s initiative in sanitising the transportation business, while others said it would impose additional burdens on transporters.
The Tide reports that the state government had in October directed commercial bus drivers, bus owners and conductors operating in Lagos, to register with the Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI) with effect from Nov.1, in line with provisions of its traffic law.
The State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Kayode Opeifa, told leaders of the various transport unions that the new system would include the re-introduction of Commuter Bus Routing Scheme.
“It is in conformity with the State Road Traffic Law, 2012, aimed at improving the availability, safety, security and the quality of service delivery of public transportation.”
Opeifa said, “From the commencement date, all commercial bus owners, drivers and conductors are to visit any of the 21 zonal offices of the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) for accreditation and documentation— free of charge.
“The process involves the physical examination of vehicles and particulars to ascertain their road worthiness status, and the submission of detailed personal data of the commercial vehicle owner, who thereafter will be issued a public transport operator licence.
“Drivers and conductors are to visit any of the five Lagos State Drivers Institute, (LASDRI) centres across the state.
“They will be accredited and issued with Lagos Commercial Passenger Vehicle Driver’s and Conductor’s Badges, after completing the mandatory LASDRI training,” he said.
However, a commercial bus driver, Mr Tajudeen Hassan, who plies the Oshodi/Orile-Iganmu route, claimed ignorance of the exercise, saying that government should have given room for adequate sensitisation before its enforcement.
Hassan said that if the registration exercise was properly coordinated, there would be sanity in the transport sector, which he claimed was regarded by the society as job for miscreants.
“I am a graduate of economics from a Federal University in the country, but after fruitless efforts in searching for white collar job, I opted for driving a bus bought for me by my parents.
“Transport business would have been more honourable like any other job if there is proper monitoring by the government and sanity by the transport union members themselves,” he said.
A bus conductor, Mr Feyipitan Egbenla, said that the registration was a welcome development if government had “no ulterior motive to get us out of job like it did to Commercial motorcyclists, better known as ‘okada’ riders”.
“It is believed that any commercial driver with a valid driver’s licence has his data captured in a data bank,” Akomolafe said.
Another commuter, Miss Janet Peterside, said that the exercise was good, especially at this festive season when lots of atrocities were usually perpetrated by commercial drivers.
Peterside said that with the registration exercise, any suspected commercial bus could be traced to the owner and driver, as well as the conductor.
“This will help to reduce the crime being perpetrated by commercial bus operators,” she said.