Safety Rules: Okada Riders Pledge Compliance

Commercial motorcyclists in Oyo State  have pledged to comply with safety and traffic rules associated in their operations.
They spoke at a sensitisation  programme  organised by the Community Relations Unit of Oyo State Governor’s Office in Ibadan.
According to The Tide source,  the commercial motorcyclists  agreed to use safety helmets, obtain  driver’s licences and refrain from overloading.
Other resolutions included to  obtain  number plates, visit the hospital first in the case of accidents and  rid   parks of alcohol and other illicit drugs.
Earlier, the state governor, Ajumobi  had called on commercial motorcyclists to embrace the various safety precautions and traffic rules to reduce the incessant traffic crashes and avoidable death involving okada riders.
Ajimobi, who was represented at the forum  by Dr Gbade Ojo, his Chief of Staff, said that it was the responsibility of the state government to protect lives and property of  residents.
‘‘Government spends  huge amount of money at various hospitals on avoidable traffic crashes mostly associated with Okada operations and have lost several of its citizenry to recklessness.
‘‘The state government has no intention of banning Okada operations in the state but would not condone any act of recklessness and disobedience to rules and regulations guiding such operations,’’ he said.
He stated that enforcement of rules and regulations by concerned agencies, which had earned their members sanctions was not wickedness, but an effort to prevent them from hazards associated with their operations.
The governor said that his administration had achieved a lot in the provision of infrastructure.
Alhaji Abidemi Siyanbola, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Community Relations, said that the programme was organised to reduce the avoidable deaths and injuries caused by the recklessness of  commercial motorcyclists.
‘‘Okada operations has to a large extent become a menace to the society, considering the needless and avoidable carnage they have inflicted on the society.
‘‘We have noticed that the major problems with the riders is indiscipline and disregard for law and order,’’ he said.
Also speaking, Dr Azeez Adeduntan, the State Commissioner for Health, called on commercial motorcyclists  to comply with the various safety rules associated with their operations.
In their submissions, Mr Yusuf Salami and Mr James Opatola,  FRSC Sector Commander and Vehicle Licensing Officer ,  respectively, listed drug abuse, indiscipline and total disregard for law  and order  as major causes of increase in road traffic crashes.
The State Chairman, Commercial Motorcycle   Section of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW),  Mr Bolaji Olugbade commended  the state government for the sensitisation programme.
Olugbade pledged that his members would comply with the resolutions made at the programme.
He, however, appealed to the state government to  assist their members in the acquisition of  safety helmets.