• NURTW Pledges Harmony Among Members
• Union, Police Reach Agreement
Two weeks after the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration slammed restriction on commercial motorcyclists and tricyclists in some areas in Lagos State, the government has said that accidents involving the vehicles have reduced drastically in the state.
It expressed satisfaction in the result and said it has no intention of relaxing the policy.
The Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, told The Guardian that the report from the Ministry of Health vindicated the government’s decision, emphasising that the safety and security of the people remained paramount.
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In the report from the health ministry, it was recorded that there had been 69.2 per cent decrease in road traffic accidents from motorcycles and tricycles.
Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has encouraged commercial motorcyclists and tricyclists to come up with positive ideas that would aid their smooth operation within the approved routes, adding that the government would not hesitate to support them.
Obasa, at a meeting held with the Association of Motorcycles and Tricycles Operators in Agege, stressed that the restriction was for the safety of the people.
In the same vein, the Lagos chapter of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has agreed to ensure harmony among its members following Governor Sanwo-Olu’s directive to the union to constitute itself in manner that would not obstruct security and peace in the state.
The governor’s tough position came after recent clashes between factions of NURTW in Lagos Island following the dissolution of the Lagos Island Branch ‘C’ by the chairman, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (a.k.a. MC Oluomo).
In response to Sanwo-Olu’s position, the union staged a rally yesterday to reunite the feuding parties after peace meetings at the NURTW headquarters in Agege.
Akinsanya said the dissolution became necessary having tried unsuccessfully to pacify the leadership of the branch to unite
Also, Lagos NURTW has said that it is on the same page with the police over the restriction.
Oshodi, known as the stronghold of Akinsanya, is one of the 15 councils that fall under the Okada and Keke restriction.
Three days after the ban was announced, Akinsanya said he was talking with the government to review the restriction.
His aide, Jimoh Buhari, disclosed this to newsmen.
The NURTW boss also expressed optimism that his discussion with the government on the matter would yield positive results.
Less than a week after the said discussion, both the three-wheelers and motorcyclists returned to the road, but this time, not the highway.
The operators only plied the service lanes unchallenged by the police.
When one of the riders was asked by The Guardian if the police still clamped down on them, he simply said, “Not anymore. Both police and Okada now understand the situation better. MC Oluomo has settled with everybody, including the police, and asked them to leave riders in Oshodi alone.
“We were warned not to go on the express, and that if any policeman harasses us, we should report.”
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