Stakeholder Harps On Road Users’ Collaboration

A stakeholder in road
transport business, Elder Dandison Kolawole has reiterated the need for all motorists to collaborate with other road users to secure and promote safety during and after the yuletide period.
Kolawale, who made the call during a chat with The Tide in Port Harcourt on Monday said it is imperative that all road users co-operate and embrace best practices by ensuring that they obey traffic rules and regulations to the letter at all times.
According to him, the importance of best practices on the road cannot of be overemphasised especially during the yuletide period, stressing that motorists should avoid dangers that could lead to loss of lives on the road, avoid and prevent such dangers by ensuring strict compliance to the road traffic order.
According to him, they should avoid over-speeding, over-loading avoid drunk driving or being under fatigue, avoid using cell-phone while driving, ensure vehicle and its particulars including the lights, wiper, the engine and others are in perfect condition before starting a journey and must have good understanding of the road.
He further said that as a motorist, it is expected of all to have knowledge and availability of first-aid-box, fire extinguisher and reflective triangle among others.
The stakeholder, who has a fleet of commercial vehicles plying Port Harcourt to Bayelsa further noted that commercial vehicle drivers should particularly ensure proper handling of their vehicles, obey traffic rules, consider other road users, avoid recklessness, over-speeding and over-loading with persons or loads in order to make more money for the festive period adding that they should change their lifestyle for the safety of themselves and their passengers.
He however called on the law enforcement agencies and other road traffic officials to redouble their efforts and apprehend and prosecute any defaulter no matter how highly placed, to serve as deterrent to others.
Kolawole also warned against indiscriminate use of sirens and flagrant disobedience of road traffic rules by some company drivers, bank’s bullion drivers, the police and others, saying, “No one is above the law or more important on the roads.

Collins Barasimeye