LAGOS—Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, urged residents, particularly, motorists to desist from activities capable of generating needless noise in the state, saying a noiseless society is possible, if the residents collaborate with government in reducing noise pollution as they did in the containment of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD.

Fashola, gave the charge at the First Lagos Drivers’ Appreciation Day, a programme organised by the state‘s Ministry of Transportation, aimed at sensitizing drivers on the forthcoming maiden horn-free day slated for October 15, 2014 .

According to him, if Lagos could contain EVD despite its fatality, noise pollution could also be contained.

His words: “The whole world feared that we would not be able to survive Ebola but we stood up as a family from the primary health care workers, the religious leaders, the “Obas” (traditional rulers), the chiefs, the local government, the  civil societies. We all decided to confront a threat that has never happened in an urban centre before.

Fashola

“Lagos is the first test case. I remember what they were telling me from the Centre for Diseases Control that there was no precedent for what was happening in Lagos because that was the first time in 40 years that Ebola would be breaking out in an urban centre. Almost other experiences were in the rural areas. But again, we learned, we worked together and we overcame that. If we can do that, can we not then overcome noise pollution which is self-inflicted? Let’s go and do it, the horn-free day and noiseless society starts with you and I.”

Award to distinguished drivers

The governor, who also yesterday, honoured 25 distinguished professional drivers for obeying traffic regulations, stressed that the volume of noise resulting from the ever busy state was self-inflicting horrible condition residents have chosen to bear, adding that things could be better if only citizens amend their ways of living.

He said: “What you see is the way we now chose to live. It is because we choose to live in a very noisy environment which could be changed for the better. We also tend to be noisy. So, we speak at the top of our voices, we play music at a very high volume. We do so many things at a very high pitch. You will be amazed with the number of text messages from citizens on daily basis.

Meantime, the Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa said that government would not sanction any driver for honking on the horn-free day, but about 2,000 traffic personnel would only be on the road to caution drivers on safe driving culture.

He stated that the state government’s desire to promote safety on the road, made it set up the Lagos State Drivers Institute in 2009 to retrain, re-certify drivers and correct the deficiencies identified in their behaviour.

The Drivers’ Appreciation Day programme he said is therefore, to celebrate those drivers who have contributed to safe driving habits on the roads.