SHUTTLE BUS DRIVERS AND TRICYCLE OPERATORS HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO DESIST FROM BREAKING TRAFFIC RULES

Reporter : UCHE NDEKE

Shuttle bus drivers and tricycle operators in Anambra State have been advised to desist from indiscriminate  parking and dropping of passengers on the road. The  Head,  Anambra Road Traffic Management Agency,  ARTMA ,  Mr Patrick Obiefuna, made the call in an interview with Radio Nigeria Correspondent in Awka.

 According to him, such uncivilized attitude of the drivers contributes to traffic gridlock and road accidents being recorded across the state. Mr Obiefuna however noted that the agency will not hesitate henceforth to penalize and prosecute shuttle and tricycle riders who violate traffic rules in the area.

“Driving against traffic otherwise called One way is a very serious offence anybody who is doing it knows that  he is endangering his life  and the life of others  and we don’t take it lightly when we get them . We don’t just clamp on people ,  first of all we will warn you,  it’s when you prove stubborn that is when we now impound your vehicle . I encourage everybody to obey traffic laws and drive safely. “

The ARTMA boss who observed that there has been much improvement in adherence to traffic rules and regulations by the motoring public,  regretted that some commercial drivers had continued to repeat same offence.

 “I must say there is an improvement now compared to before. When you tell somebody this thing is wrong and you catch him for that thing, penalize him, you expect that there will be an improvement, that the same person won’t want to fall into the pit again,  but we discover that they still commit the same offence . We believe that if the tariffic is  a bit high that it will sort of discourage them of falling into the trap of being arrested the second time.”

 Mr Obiefuna, while commending staff of the agency for improving in their daily operations, said ARTMA will continue to partner other sister agencies like FRSC, the Police, Civil Defence among others to ensure smooth flow of traffic across Anambra State.