Ember Months Safety Campaign: LASDRI Partners Law Enforcement Agencies

The Lagos State Drivers’ Institute (LASDRI) has partnered with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) and the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) to take this year’s Ember Months Safety Advocacy Campaign to Iyana Ipaja Motor Park as part of its unrelenting effort towards ensuring safer roads during the ember months and beyond.

Speaking at the event held at the Iyana-Ipaja Motor Park on Thursday, the General Manager of LASDRI, Mrs. Afusat Tiamiyu stated that the major reason for motor vehicle accidents and road carnage is bad roads, unworthy road vehicles, unskilled and unschooled drivers.

She added that people have tagged the ember months as deadly months due to the high rate of road accidents, thus, an urgent need to enlighten and sensitise commercial vehicle drivers on the need to make safety their priority and avoid over-speeding while moving from one point to another.

“The Lagos State Government has empowered LASDRI to compulsory take training to drivers at their various parks, so that they can know what is expected of them during and beyond the ember months. We believe that with training, re-training and recertification of drivers, we will bring the best out of them and get to zero level accident rate which is our target”, she said.

Tiamiyu, therefore, appealed to all commercial drivers to make sure their vehicles are in good condition, their psychological health is stable as well as imbibe patience as a virtue in the discharge of their daily duties.

Also speaking at the event, the Commandant, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in charge of the Iyana-Ipaja axis, Mr. Kehinde Makinde explained that the traffic laws and regulations put in place by the Lagos State Government are for the good of the drivers as well as the safety of all motoring public.

He added that most accidents that occur in the ember months are caused by human factors as commercial drivers are in the habit of plying one-way whenever there is traffic so as to make as many trips as possible within a short time.

Makinde cautioned commercial drivers involved in these perilous acts to desist, appealing that they should always put other drivers, road users and pedestrians into consideration.

On his part, Superintendent Route Commander, C.M Oseji of the Federal Road Safety Corp, said that driving to stay alive requires appropriate driving behaviour which includes the drivers’ mental alertness, positive attitude and driving a good vehicle. Hence, it is required that all drivers should exhibit these attitudes at all times.

The Branch E Chairman of the Iyana-Ipaja motor park garage, Mr. Tajudeen Alao, while appreciating the Lagos State Government for its road safety efforts through LASDRI, said that the training received at the event will also be extended to members of the park who were unavoidably absent at the state meeting and crave for the indulgence of the Government to continue its partnership with the union.