By Adeyinka Aderibigbe
The Lagos State Government has carpeted what is called wrong categorization of traffic pattern in the state, saying traffic congestion is not as nightmarish as it is usually often painted.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr Gbenga Omotoso said this on Tuesday, at the maiden edition of an engagement forum between Lagos Traffic Radio 96.1FM and LASTMA, at the Radio Lagos Auditorium, Agidingbi, Lagos.
According to him, recent data on the cities across the world showed that the city of London in the United Kingdom tops the list of cities heavily impacted by traffic congestion especially since the COVID-19 pandemic era, with each driver losing about 148 man-hours, which translated to about £1,101 per hour.
He listed other cities impacted by traffic as the city of Paris, (149 hours) Brussels (134 hours), Moscow, (108), New York City (102 hours) and Chicago (104). Others are; Rome and Bogota, in Columbia, Palermo, Italy, and Istanbul, Turkey,
According to him, contrary to the strange figures pushed out by pseudo experts, Lagos is not even among the top 20 cities with worst traffic in the world.
He added that it is a misnomer for people to regard traffic congestion in the state as a nightmare.
Omotoso said travel experience within the urban metropolitan areas will certainly improve once the various rehabilitations and constructions currently ongoing in the state are delivered.
He said: “It is to the credit of the present Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration that we are embarking on so many roads at the same time. The reason for this is not far-fetched, being a state that is largely below the sea level, we must do as many roads as possible within the window of the dry season, between October and February, knowing that not much could be achieved once the rain begins. We are comforted by the fact that today’s pains is just for a short time as we shall all enjoy the benefit of these massive investment in the future.”
Omotoso who lauded Lagosians for their patience and understanding with the government, noted that the synergy between the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) and the Traffic Radio has gone a long way in improving traffic situation in the state.
According to him, the synergy between the two agencies is vital not only because of the increasing volume of vehicles on the roads, and coming on the heels of the election season that will be occasioned by increased traffic.
For him, while traffic radio should up it’s game in giving real time travel advisory, LASTMA, should embark more on traffic management, rather than becoming an revenue generating agency.
He said while LASTMA must not shy away from generating revenue through fines from defaulters of the state’s traffic reforms law 2018, as amended, it must continue to remind itself that it remains essentially a traffic management agency.
In his goodwill address, the Commissioner for Transportation Dr Frederic Oladeinde said through the synergy between the two agencies there has been a significant reduction in the number of vehicles on the road.
Oladeinde who was represented by the Director of Transport Planning in the Ministry of Transportation Engr Abdulafiz Gbolahan Toriola said traffic radio has contributed in no small measure to easing traffic congestion as it gives real time advisory on the road situation to motorists. According to him, not only does the station gives travel advisory, it equally supplies valuable information through which impediments on the road have been speedily evacuated by LASTMA’s rescue and emergency response unit, thereby reducing trauma of other road users.
He therefore looked forward to greater collaboration between the two agencies with a view to increasing their respectice performance.
The Head of Service, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola said through the traffic radio, LASTMA’s impact on road management has received a great boost. He added that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu appreciates the good works of officers of the agency as they greatly impact on the first pillar of the THEMES Agenda of his administration.
Mri-Okunola who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transportation Mr Kamal Olowosago said the forum, with the theme: repositioning traffic information agencies for better performance could not have come at a better time when the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration is at the cusp of history of delivering on the Red and Blue light rails which would greatly facilitate inter-modal transportation in the state.
He therefore charged all participants to come up with actionable ideas that would contribute to easing traffic patterns in the state for implementation by the government.
The Head of Service also implored citizens to always cooperate with the state government officials in order to ease traffic flow and reduce gridlocks on our roads.
Earlier, Lagos Traffic Radio’s General Manager Mr Tayo Akanle said the forum was geared towards improved efficiency in traffic management and travel advocacy.
He said both agencies must continue to work together as it is only by strengthening its relationship that remarkable improvement could be recorded in their performances.
For him, achieving success in the first pillar in the THEMES Agenda informs the reason why both agencies must continue to collaborate and synergize, especially with the current realities of the changing behaviours of drivers as well as the increasingly complex and congested roads as a result of increase in the volume of vehicles in the state’s roads.
Highlights of the forum was the presentation of awards to eight outstanding staff of both agencies who won outstanding award as the best programmes/traffic reporters of the year, 2021.
These are; Mr Olayiwola Olanrewaju, Mrs Folasade Aderounmu, Mr Adetoye Gbolahan Ogunwale, Mike Arunocha (DJ Ice), and Mr Victor Olatunde Awotola.
Others are; Mr Hussein Akan, LASTMA’s Assistant Controller, Mr Sulaiman Adelaja Awotugase, and Mrs Adebowale Yusuf (Iya Sharwama).