Ogun traffic agency targets N800m revenue in 2014

As part of efforts to ensure effective and pragmatic traffic management, compliance and enforcement in the State in the year 2014, the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) has budgeted a sum of N718 million, covering both capital and recurrent expenditures for the 2014 fiscal year.

The State-owned traffic agency, which targets N800 million as the internally-generated revenue due to the government coffers in 2014, also declared its preparedness to attain the United Nations 30 percent traffic crashes reduction target by the year 2015, adding that efforts would start next year with the reduction of 15 percent traffic crashes.

Speaking during the budget defence before the State House of Assembly, Ayodele Sangofadeji, commandant, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) said that the agency is working towards the attainment of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety between 2011 and 2020 which necessitated the pragmatic and effective approaches to traffic management, compliance and enforcement targeted at the reduction of losses of lives, man hours and injuries on the road.

He however, declared that the approval of the 2014 monetary proposals of the agency by the State government would not only facilitate the efficiency and effectiveness of the agency, but would also go a long way in addressing the paucity of funds that retards the effectiveness of the agency, thereby boosting the morale of the traffic officers that will carry out traffic management, compliance and enforcement.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Transportation has pledged to carry out adequate public enlightenment campaigns to sensitise motorcyclists on the importance and use of the reflective jackets as part of measures undertaken by the State government to ensure adequate security of lives and effective traffic management, compliance and enforcement.

Gbenga Opesanwo, the senior special assistant to the governor on transportation, who disclosed that a series of measures had been taken to ensure free flow of traffic and accident-free Christmas/New Year season, he however declared that enforcement of the use of the jacket had however been put on hold pending the conclusion of enlightenment campaign on the significance of reflective jackets to motorcyclists.

He emphasised that all motorcyclists in the State should obtain a riders’ card which has a 5-digit security number peculiar to each rider as part of measures evolved to ensure security of lives, urging intra and inter-city bus passengers to always endorse vehicle manifest at the motor parks while boarding regulated inter-city and intra-state buses.

Opesanwo however, reassured that government remained committed to smooth operations in the transportation sector, adding that appropriate measures were already in place to ensure that road users are safe and travel without hindrance during forthcoming Christmas/New Year and even beyond.

Consequently, he said officers and men of the State’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency Corps (TRACE) and all relevant traffic managers in the State had been adequately briefed to ensure strict compliance with traffic rules.