Lalong inuagurates committee on road traffic administration

Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau on Monday inuagurated an interim management committee on road traffic administration and vehicle inspection, to operate within Jos and Bukuru metropolis.

Speaking at the inuaguaration in Government House Jos, Lalong tasked the members to work closely with the relevant security agencies to enable enforcement of regulations and compliance of public safety.

He said the committee should be friendly, professional, but very hard on those who want to contravene traffic regulations.

“In recent times, we have taken measures such as a ban on motorcycles and specified hours of operation for Tricycles otherwise known as Keke.

“However, I must express my disappointment that many operators still violate these restrictions without consequences,” he said .

He said the committee should ensure such anomaly was no longer tolerated, saying that he would be monitoring their activities to ensure proactiveness .

Lalong said the committee would be guided by the law establishing the Plateau State Road Traffic Administration and Vehicle Inspection Authority 2020, while also urging them to sensitise the public on its provisions.

” The law essentially provides for enhanced road traffic management with the aim of ensuring safety, availability, comfort, order, as well as better management of road transportation that enables government collect revenues accruing from the sector more effectively.

“While you enforce, you must also carry out aggressive sensitisation, stakeholder engagement and also sustain a feedback mechanism to assist you address concerns of the citizens,” he said .

The governor said the committee would be critical in ensuring that criminals could not infiltrate the state to establish their base for criminality, following the high vehicular migration to Plateau.

He said that the congestion on major highways; proliferation of motor parks; indiscriminate parking; increase in crimes; and other related attacks on innocent passengers required prompt action by the committee.

He said the committee should work closely with the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service to ensure that all levies, penalties and fees are collected transparently, and as when due to ensure the implementation of more road construction and rehabilitation projects.

Responding on behalf of the committee , the chairman, Mr. Noel Pirinkwap, thanked the governor for the opportuntiy to serve the state, while assuring him that they would work assidously to achieve the objectives of the committee.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee comprises of seven members including representatives of the Federal Road Safety Corp and the Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer of the state who would serve as its secretary among others.