Experts urge automation of traffic management, improved transport safety

Technological experts have advocated for the full automation of motor vehicle administration in the country to enhance efficiency in traffic management, improve transportation safety, and reduce the spate of insecurity on the roads.

They made this advocacy at a high-tech stakeholders meeting held in Lagos. Deputy Managing Director of Courteville Business Solutions PLC, Mr. Wale Sonaike, stressed the need for the automation of the transport sector due to the rising cases of fake documentation in driver’s license procurement, fake vehicle documents, falsification of records, and extortion of perceived traffic offenders by enforcement agents.

Speaking further, Sonaike said his company pioneered the innovation of a mobile handheld device known as AutoReg, the first of its kind in the country, used for collating transport data that has helped state governments and federal agencies in automating every aspect of motor vehicle administration.

He added that his company made an incursion into the public sector through the reengineering of the motor vehicle administration process with their flagship product, AutoRegTM.

“The application was pioneered in Lagos State through the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA),” he said.

Sonaike pointed out that Lagos is ahead of other states in the adoption of the technology, having embraced the automation process about three decades ago, making it easier for the integration of AutoReg there as a pioneer state.

An Imo State tech expert, Engineer Fidel Ambrose, affirmed that offenders are easily captured using the AutoReg application, whether for expired documents, traffic issues, or non-compliance offenses.

“It is worthy to note that the AutoReg platform has become a veritable tool for recovering stolen vehicles as well as eliminating double vehicle registrations and confirming vehicle chassis along international standards before registrations are carried out,” Ambrose stated.

His position was also corroborated by Mallam Dahiru Saliu, a transporter based in Abuja, who said, “the AutoReg application is apt and has been in the market for over 15 years, suggesting a high level of acceptability and relevance.”

On how to curb robbery during traffic gridlocks, another tech expert, Mr. Wale, urged that high-tech solutions should be deployed in the country, as used in developed countries. He noted that the digitalization of surveillance and the deployment of tracking technology is the right way to go.

“There is also a need for proper digital registration of all vehicles, both private and commercial. Visibly displayed permits of driver details and registration are also advisable for commercial transport, which is part of what we are offering through our AutoReg application,” he added.