Rivers to reorganise TIMA-RIV for effective traffic control

Apparently to tackle the lingering chaotic traffic situation in the state, especially Port Harcourt the state capital, Rivers State says it is set to reorganise the State Road Traffic Management Authority, otherwise called TIMA-RIV, for effective traffic control.

In September last year, Governor Nyesom Wike had disbanded the TIMA-RIV, which had assumed notoriety for all the wrong reasons, constituting a huge embarrassment to millions of motorists, rather than manage gridlocks in parts of the state capital. The men and women of the agency later staged protests alleging they were owed seven months arrears of salaries.

But Governor Wike, speaking on Tuesday at the Government House, Port Harcourt, when he received the vice assistant Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in charge of Bayelsa and Rivers State, Bulus Dawang and the Rivers State Sector Commander, Andrew Kumupayi, said the state government would collaborate with the FRSC to reposition the state’s traffic management agency.

He said: “We are not setting up a new agency. What we are doing is to reorganize the existing agency, TIMA-RIV, for effective traffic management in liaison with the FRSC.”

The governor also donated  a towing van and three traffic vans to the State Command of the FRSC, to further improve on their services to the state.

He called on the FRSC to work with officials of the State Transport Ministry to improve traffic in Port Harcourt through the clearing of illegal motor parks, illegal markets on roads and the reopening of the Trailer Park.

The assistant Corps Marshal of FRSC, in charge of Bayelsa and Rivers State, Bulus Dawang described Wike as a FRSC friendly governor because of his commitment to the construction of new roads.

He commended the governor for supporting the FRSC; and also involving the Corps in the execution of the state’s traffic management.

Also speaking, the Rivers State FRSC Sector Commander, Andrew Kumupayi assured the governor of the Corps’ cooperation in development of functional traffic strategies in the state.