FRSC, LASTMA Applaud JCI Ikeja’s Safe Driving Campaign

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have applauded the Ikeja Local Organisation of Junior Chamber International (JCI) for its safe driving campaign.

The group recently sensitised some transporters under the aegis of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Ikeja branch, on the global best practices of using the roads.

“Once a message of sensitization of this nature is sent out with a continuous reminder, there would be a change of attitude,” the Unit Head of Special Marshals of the FRSC, Ojota Unit Command, Mr Ande Apollo, stated.

Mr Apollo noted that the defensive driving campaign organized by the JCI Ikeja goes a long way, saying that speaking with members of the NURTW will bring more knowledge to them on how to maintain their cars and use the road.

“They would be more conscious and more self-aware of their safety and the safety of other road users. It is believed that most people who use the road are commercial drivers.

“Programs like this will give commercial drivers a rethink on reasons why they should obey road traffic regulations to ensure road safety,” Mr Appollo explained.

Also speaking during the sensitization program, the Grand Chairman, Ikeja branch of NURTW, Comrade Isiaka Apena, applauded the initiative of JCI Ikeja.

Mr Apena said that the seminar is good and very important to them, saying that it should be frequent for them can keep enlightening their drivers on how and why they should obey road traffic rules for the safety of their lives and other road users and ensure road safety.

He then called on the government at different levels to support them alleviate the challenges they are going through.

Mr Apena also said that there should be assistance from the government to the transport sector, especially NURTW, pointed out that the vehicle they are using is bad, and there should be a form of assistance from the government to subsidies; probably to collect their old vehicles and get them new vehicles and they pay in instalment.

“Government should do something to assist the drivers because it is a means of income for the drivers and this would make transportation better.

“The government should render financial assistance to the transport sector at least to aid the purchase of the new vehicles,” Mr Apena begged.

Explaining why the campaign was organised, the President of JCI Ikeja, Ms Tricia Inalu, explained that the need to inform public transport drivers on the best ways to use the roads and to reduce the road the accident that happen on daily basis influenced the event.

She quoted a report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) which said between 2013 and 2019, over 5000 deaths were recorded annually.

“In February this year, a Vanguard report stated that an average of 4 persons dies every 6 hours, an average of 15 persons die daily, and in a month, over 400 people die.

“These figures are alarming, these are people who are breadwinners, who have dependents and this affects the family, the home front and even our economy,” Ms Inalu explained.

“As a leadership organization that JCI is, we look out for problems and opportunities where we can promote development and create value for our communities.

“This has become very necessary as we have realised that we cannot leave this to the government because we are the government, we are the ones that can talk to ourselves to do things right and that is why we are on this sensitization campaign,” she said.