Oyo to Restrict Movement of Trailers, Trucks to 9pm to 6am

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

There are plans to begin to restrict the movement of trailers, trucks and long vehicles plying certain roads in Oyo State to night only.

This move is to manage smooth commuting, dissipate gridlock and decongest traffic in the state, according to the Special Adviser on Project and Infrastructure, Engr. Seyi Adeleye.

“The decision became necessary so as to curb traffic and fatalities caused by articulated vehicles on roads in the state,” the aide said when he addressed newsmen after a meeting of the State Public Works and Transport Infrastructure Development Committee in Ibadan, the state capital.

Mr Adeleye said to protect citizens, the state will start implementing the restriction and may be pegged from 9:00pm to 6:00am.

He said the Oyo State government is set to draft and implement a new transport policy to make transit easier and less clumsy.

The Special Adviser revealed that the committee has begun working on ways to implement restrictions on trucks and long vehicles to nighttime operations and dedicated routes in the state.

“The transport policy will include night sailing plans for trucks and heavy-duty vehicles, journey management, junction improvement among others to decongest roads during rush hours.

“We have to make plans to both solve the existing traffic gridlocks, and make plans for the impending gridlock that could arise from the economic expansion that the inland dry port will bring as there will be the loading of trucks from the port, and they will need to move to their destination,” Mr Adeleye said.

“We will also design plans that are applicable to our environment as what works in other climes may not work here, so we will come up with solutions that will directly and positively affect our situation,” he added.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman, Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority, Mr Mogaji Akin Fagbemi, said the Agency will also see to the birth of a post-crash care policy that will enhance first aid while also ensuring quick access to health facilities in case of fatalities.

He applauded the planned implementation of the restriction, saying that such would ease the stress of OYRTMA officials towing vehicles and end the era of unnecessary violence by some of the drivers.

He said the agency will also ensure that traffic is coordinated in internal roads where there is rarely the presence of personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the state.

Mr Fagbemi added that the restriction is part of the government’s efforts to curb consistent road crashes attributed to operations of long vehicles on the road.

The committee is made up of stakeholders from all ministries and agencies that are directly involved in road activities, first aid and traffic management.