As LASG calls for technology deployment for enforcement

Blue Line Rail ready in Y2021 in Lagos

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Dr. Olu Agunloye, has called for public partnership in the management of the transport sector in order to reduce carnages on the road to its minimal level in Nigeria.

Meantime, Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde has stressed the need for private sector partnerships in the deployment of technology for enforcement to engender effective and efficient delivery of traffic management in the country.

The duo made the call in 2019, Sectoral Workshop, organized by the Federal Road Safety Corps, Special Marshals, RS2.1, Lagos Sector, with the theme: “Special Marshal Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” held in Ilupeju, Lagos.

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Special Marshal is a voluntary organisation with about 1.200 members nationwide, complementing the efforts of regular Marshal of FRSC on road safety job.

According to recent Annual Global Road Crash Statistics, nearly 1.25 million people die in road crashes each year, on average 3,287 deaths a day.

An additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled while more than half of all road traffic deaths occur among young adults ages 15-44.

Road traffic crashes rank as the 9th leading cause of death and accounts for 2.2 per cent of all deaths globally.

Agunloye, who was the guest Speaker, bemoaned the spate of road crashes in the country in recent time, stating that it has reached alarming proportion which is still on the increase, hence, should be tackled through concerted efforts from all fronts particularly by members of the public.

He said, “The way forward for Special Marshal is to emphasise the art of partnership. The special marshal project should evolve into a big partnering program which will include a public partnership.

“The public, in this case, is not the government but the people in the community, you and I. And of course, explore private sector partnership, through corporate organizations, such as Chevron, Agip, Total, which are already into road safety course. So, their (Special Marshal) work can become more broadened, efficient and effective.”

Agunloye also stressed the need for the introduction of road safety courses in the school curriculum, both at primary and secondary levels.

He said that researches have shown that children are good agents of road safety as they imbibe the culture so easily at an early age in life and can easily pass it along to next-generation if well trained.

“We should build and inculcate the culture by teaching our children road safety measures and facts. In fact, road safety must be a subject that should be part of the school curriculum even before they attain the mandatary 18 years for driving,” he maintained.

Oladeinde, in his address, said the number of Special Marshal can never be enough, therefore, making it imperative to encourage volunteers to join Special Marshal.

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His words, “Until we start owning the road, respect traffic rules and regulation among others, we will then start having minimal fatal crashes on our roads.

“The Lagos state government has always supported FRSC in tackling road carnage. We realized that technology is fast becoming an important part of traffic enforcement. It eliminates gridlock associated with manual enforcement.

“Deployment of technology will ensure effective and efficient transport management. Already, the Lagos state government is collaborating with a private sector to deploy technology in transport management. What we are doing is providing enabling environment to thrive.”

The commissioner, while speaking with newsmen, disclosed that the Lagos Blue Line Rail project will be ready for operations in the year 2021 as it would also be served as a complementary role to road transportation.

Oladeinde stressed that the present administration was committed to the completion date deadline, “the state government is very passionate about the actualisation of an effective intra-state rail system.”

He explained further that the inter-State rail line currently being constructed by the Federal Government will serve as the Red Line Rail spanning from Alagbado to Marina.

However, speaking on the occasion, state Coordinator Special Marshal, Lagos sector command, Olusola Olojede, explained that the worship is being organised biannually to reappraise performance within the year under review, chart a new way forward through a communiqué issued at the end of the workshop.

“Our target is to reduce road crashes and deaths on our roads because the human factor has been discovered to be the major factor to cause of fatal crashes on our roads. We need a total change of orientation to change the current narrative,” Olojede stated.

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