TRACE Holds Safety Parley With Logistic Operators In Ifo

OLORUNDARE ENIMOLA, Lagos

The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps'TRACE, Area 9 Command held a parley with Logistic operators within its command area on Wednesday 12th, July, at the Ifo Local Government Secretariat, Ifo Town with an appreciable number of Logistic operators in attendance.

The parley was held to lecture the operators on Safety precautions and the vital need to comply with traffic regulations aimed at promoting safety on the roads and accelerate traffic flow in the Ifo, Ilaro, Ewekoro, Papa and Obada axis.

Hon. (Mrs.) Kikelomo Delano, the Executive Chairman, Ifo Local Government Area who made a brief visit to the event appreciated Area Commander Akinkunmi Ebunoluwa Abike and the TRACE Agency in particular for its vital role of making the Ogun roads safer and eliminating encumbrances for sutained traffic flow, especially on lagos Abeokuta expressway/Papa Ilaro and It environs.

She addressed the stakeholders against the menace of driving against traffic which she lamented to be a cause of road carnages lately, advising the stakeholders, "I want to advice you to be law abiding citizens on the road.  Avoid  driving against traffic(One-way), ensure the use of C-Caution in case truck breakdown on the road, avoid drunk driving, substance abuse while driving and indiscriminate parkings.

Welcoming the stakeholders on behalf of TRACE Commander and Chief Executive  TCC/CEO 'Seni  Ogunyemi, was AC Ebunoluwa Akinkunmi, the TRACE Area 9 Commander who said, the Area 9 Command is in a mission to enhance safety, sanity and decorum within the Area 9 command, comprising of Ifo, Ewekoro, Ilaro, Obada, and Agbado-Oke-Aro Divisions, "as an Area Command, we have a goal to ensure safety of lives and properties on our roads.

"This meeting is part of our plans to have regular stakeholders' interactions where we can rub minds on how to achieve maximum Safety, reduce crashes and eliminate traffic bottlenecks on roads within the command area. It is the road that mutually binds us together, while you are on the road doing your Businesses from one point to the other, we are on the road to ensure you arrive at your destinations safely and timely." She added.

AC Akinkunmi added that the meeting was a platform to cross polinate ideas, harvest suggestions and information that is mutually beneficial, stressing, "no one has the monopoly of knowledge and we could immensely benefit from salient points that could be raised by you in this meeting."

She encouraged the participants to feel free to bare their minds and air their views with the ultimate purpose of improving safety on the roads within the Area Command and ultimately in Ogun State.

The Area Commander afterwards yielded the floor to the Deputy Area Commander, Corridor commanders , Divisional Commanders to handle various topics in line with daily traffic operations, regulations and enforcement in the command.

Dosumu Olalekan, the Corridor Commander, Ewekoro, emphasised on the evil of driving against traffic which is known as 'one-way' describing it as a major cause of road crashes which will not be condoned any longer, stating, "enforcement will soon begin which will also target trucks parking on road medians in Ewekoro axis."

DAC Olaniran Abdul-Wasiu, Deputy Area Commander, Ilaro, who is directly in charge of Dangote Trucks Operations in that axis, talked about Cement trucks driving against traffic with excess tonnage, endangering their lives, those of other road users and impacting the road negatively.

He said, "In the process of apprehending some of these truck drivers, they resort to fighting TRACE operatives with machetes and other dangerous weapons, I therefore advise you as stakeholders to talk to your drivers, advising them on road ethics, complying with safety regulations and cooperating with our men in Patrol."

Bakare Idowu, the Corridor Commander, Obada, on his part, laid emphasis on driver’s unruly attitude to TRACE operatives on duty, pointing out that the Agency was established to help and assist the stakeholders and other road users to maintain sanity on the road, while advising them to desist from driving against traffic, which is fast becoming a source of road crashes and deaths of many.

"Any driver caught and apprehended driving against traffic will be treated as a madman before issuing a fine ticket." Sonuga Waheed, Unit Commander, Obada, said, while talking on  the Ethics on Safe Driving, imploring the attendees not to over labour and stress their drivers, allowing for adequate rest with enough fuel in their trucks for assigned journeys.

The Ifo Divisional Commander,  Oyebola Adetunji who spoke extensively on indiscriminate parking, decried the incessant attitude of drivers who turn the highways as their parking bays, endangering the lives of other motorists, who sometimes ram into those stationary Vehicles with grave consequences.

Oyebola said, "Whenever we apprehend drivers for indiscriminate parking on the road and they defend themselves by saying we parked by the road-side, I ask, is the side of the road not part of the road?"

He listed places that should not be used for parking on the road to include; where there is no parking sign, pedestrian walkways, road bends or corners, close to junctions, brow or crest of a hill, close to bridges, near railway crossing, near the gates of emergency agencies - hospitals, fire service stations, Police stations Ambulance service station, narrow roads, avoid double parkings and others.

Salako Idowu, Divisional Commander, Ilaro spoke about human errors of judgement, which includes errors of Omission, Commission and Perception, leading to road crashes

Oridota Peter, Divisional Commander of Agbado-Oke-Aro harped on the importance of Crash Helmets in reducing the impact of road crashes for motorcycle rider.

While the Divisional Commander for Ewekoro. Salabiu Adekunle, enumerated the leading causes of road crashes, pointing out the consequences and solutions through compliance to safety regulations.

 The stakeholders in their response asked questions to get clarity on certain operational matters, while they also gave suggestions to enhance better working relationship with Area Command.