In a move to further ease free flow of traffic in the metropolis, Frederic Oladeinde, commissioner for transportation, Lagos state recently inaugurated a 10-member Ad-Hoc Committee to oversee issues of vehicles abandoned on highways and major streets in the state.
The commissioner charged them to see their appointments as call to duty. While urging them to be honest in the discharge of their duties, the he charged them to see their appointments as an opportunity to assist the state government to address lingering issues of constant traffic gridlocks in the city.
He assured the committee that, the ministry would further train them on how to do the job in the most civil way while advising that they should be guided by the regulations and their terms of reference, adding that government’s intention for inaugurating the Committee was to improve on traffic situation in the state and not to punish anyone.
While reeling out the committee’s terms of reference, the commissioner took time to explain conditions upon which any vehicle could be declared and treated as an abandoned vehicle.
These include vehicles which had been left unattended to or stationery for a period of time, any vehicle parked upon or within 10 feet of the travelled portion of the high ways; any vehicle parked in frontage of a private property in excess of 7 days or in a public property for more than 30 days without being attended to.
Among their terms of reference as stated by the commissioner are; identification of the abandoned vehicles where they were parked and subsequently, reporting such to the authority, recording the locations of the vehicles, street names, mode and make of the vehicles, vehicle particulars, including photographs and other convincing evidence about the vehicles and pasting of removal notifications on such vehicles.
He explained that a vehicle or equipment shall not constitute an abandonment, if such equipment or vehicle are used or to be used in construction sites or in the operation or maintenance of highways or public utilities, facilities or left in a manner that does not interfere with normal vehicular movement.
Some of the newly inaugurated committee includes; Henry Babatunde Ige, chairman of the committee, Ismail Monsuru Akinloye and Sola Sometan. Members include are Speechee Onakoya, Benson Muiz Adedeji, Olorunkemi Ademisere and Oluwatoyin Tiamiyu, representing Ministry of Transportation.
Others are Olusegun Ismail Odusote representing LASTMA, Adeshola Opemipo, representing Vehicle Inspection Service and finally, Nuhman Olalekan Edet who will serve as the secretary of the committee.
Responding on behalf of other members, the committee chairman, Henry Babatunde Oke pledged the commitment of the members to the vision of the state government in unlocking traffic gridlocks in the state, promising that his committee would follow the rules and regulations and the terms of reference set by the state government.
MIKE OCHONMA
