Lagos Taskforce offers to educate commercial bus drivers

As part of efforts to reduce the high rate of disobedience to traffic rules and regulations in Lagos State, the state Environmental and Special Offence Unit also known as Taskforce has indicated its preparedness to collaborate with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to educate willing commercial bus drivers.

The unit also restated its resolve to keep its operatives in check.

The chairman of the unit, CSP Shola Jejeloye, made this known yesterday during a meeting with state executives and branch heads of NURTW in Agege.

The meeting was called as part of steps to douse the misunderstanding between commercial bus drivers and the agency’s operatives.

He said: “If truly we are to eliminate friction between commercial bus drivers in Lagos State and the Enforcement Team of Lagos Taskforce, we must be ready to educate willing union members on what constitutes obstruction, driving against traffic, and driving on BRT Lane.

If this involves engaging other relevant government agencies, it won’t be a wasted effort if we desire sanity on Lagos roads.”

While promising more changes in the operations of the agency, the Taskforce chief stated that the agency has created a team not only to monitor its operatives but also those using the name of Lagos State Taskforce to extort motorists and road users.

He appealed to leaders of the Union to encourage their members to cooperate with the Taskforce, assuring that what was being done was in the best interest of the state and its residents.

Chairman of NURTW, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, urged drivers not to pick commuters at places that were not designated as bus stops. He also urged them to avoid obstruction, driving on the BRT lane and driving against the traffic (one-way).

Akinsanya tasked the branch leaders to put mechanisms in place to ensure that members of the union become enlightened and obey traffic rules.