Oyo State Government has dicslosed that it will start implementing the restriction of trucks and long vehicles to night operations on certain routes in the state.
The government said the restrictions of trailers and trucks may be pegged from 9pm to 6am.
Special Adviser on Project and Infrastructure to Governor Seyi Makinde, Engr. Seyi Adeleye, who stated this after the maiden meeting of the State Public Works and Transport Infrastructure Development Committee in Ibadan, noted that the decision was taken in order to manage smooth commuting, dissipate gridlock and decongest traffic.
“The decision became necessary so as to curb traffic and fatalities caused by articulated vehicles on roads in the state,” he said.
According to him, 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 work on ways to implement restriction of trucks and long vehicles to night time 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 form economic expansion that the inland dry port will bring as there will be loading of trucks from the port, and they will need to move to their destination.
“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,” Adeleye said.
Speaking, the Chairman, Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA), 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 drivers.
Fagbemi said the agency will also ensure that traffic is coordinated on internal roads in the state where there is no presence of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) personnel.
The OYRtMA boss added that the restriction is part of government’s efforts to curb consistent road crashes attributed to operations of long vehicles.
The committee is made up of stakeholders from all ministries and agencies that are directly involved in road activities, first aid and traffic management.
