As FRSC launches ’ember months’ safety campaign
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has blamed commercial tricycle riders, popularly called ‘Keke Marwa,’ for the frequent occurrence of accidents on roads in the state and across Nigeria.
LASTMA said that the recklessness with which the operators of ‘keke Marwa’ drive the tricycles has been identified as one of the major causes of road crashes in the country.
Speaking during the official launch of the 2016 ember months’ awareness campaign by the Isolo Unit of the Federal Road Safety Corps, LASTMA Zonal Head for Isolo, Lagos, Alhaji Lateef Olokodana, alleged that many road accidents in the state were caused by the recklessness of the commercial tricycle riders.
Olokodana said that in spite of the fact that roads in Lagos had been rehabilitated and made motorable, recklessness usually displayed by the tricycle riders had often resulted in accidents.
He said, “A good number of road accidents that we have recorded so far were caused by all these Marwa riders because they drive recklessly, thereby causing commotion.”
The ember months’ awareness campaign tagged, ”Crash the Crash: Speed Kills,” was aimed at sensitising the public on the need to ensure the reduction of auto crashes and fatalities on our roads.
It was also meant to disabuse the minds of road users on the erroneous notion surrounding the season and setting in place measures to maintain sanity on the roads during the festive period and beyond.
The Unit Commander, FRSC Isolo, Lagos, Assistant Corp Commander Hauwa Olowookere, stated that the consumption of alcohol by road users, especially drivers, had been contributing to the high percentage of road transport crashes.
Olowookere said that the consumption of such substances would usually disrupt the driver’s skills and abilities, affecting mainly his brain and eyes while driving.
She, therefore, urged the public to obey traffic rules and regulations, avoid the consumption of alcohol before and while driving.
