The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olufemi Dare, disclosed this on Tuesday throughout a joint press briefing with the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, at Otedola Bridge in Lagos.
The briefing adopted a tanker hearth on the bridge on Monday, which raised recent considerations about security alongside the busy expressway.
“Within the next week, we will present a proposal to the minister to see how weighbridges can be incorporated into the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway,” he stated.
On the tanker hearth, Dare stated preliminary accounts indicated {that a} absolutely loaded tanker rolled backwards and fell beneath the bridge after colliding with one other automobile.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Works would perform a complete structural evaluation to decide the situation of the bridge following the incident.
The controller recognized reckless driving, poor automobile upkeep and the removing of public infrastructure as among the elements contributing to street accidents alongside the expressway.
According to him, greater than 100 photo voltaic lights had been faraway from the freeway, whereas indiscriminate truck parking and the theft of street infrastructure continued to undermine security.
Dare stated an expanded stakeholders’ assembly can be held in mid-November to develop measures to deal with the challenges. The assembly is predicted to contain motorists, conventional rulers, safety companies from Lagos and Ogun states, and different related stakeholders.
He additionally recommended the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, and different emergency responders for his or her immediate intervention following Monday’s incident.
Speaking on the briefing, Osiyemi described the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway hall as an space incessantly related to street accidents, noting that poor driving habits and insufficient automobile upkeep contributed considerably to the issue.
The commissioner stated the tanker hearth was reportedly linked to improper automobile upkeep and pressured the necessity for stronger cooperation between Lagos and Ogun states to enhance security alongside the hall.
He disclosed that the 2 states had obtained approval from the Minister of Works to convene a broader stakeholders’ assembly to deal with street security considerations, unlawful parking and different elements chargeable for accidents.
According to Osiyemi, the assembly would deliver collectively the transportation commissioners and commissioners of police from each states, alongside different related stakeholders.
He welcomed the proposed introduction of weighbridges, arguing that some autos working on the expressway have been both overloaded or unsuitable for the route.
“We need weighbridges, and without that agreement, it might be tough because the corridor is one that requires collaboration,” he stated.
Osiyemi urged truck house owners and transport unions to educate their drivers on correct automobile upkeep and secure driving practices.
He added that the Lagos State Government had launched its ember-month street security marketing campaign and deployed further personnel to the roads to assist cut back accidents in the course of the interval.
The commissioner additionally appealed to motorists travelling into and out of Lagos to train warning, stressing that arriving safely was extra necessary than dashing to attain their locations.
“It is better to travel and get to our destinations later and safely than trying to rush and die in the process,” he stated.
Osiyemi additional disclosed {that a} report out there to him indicated that one individual sustained burn accidents within the tanker incident and was receiving therapy in a hospital.
He assured motorists that the bridge was secure to be used, citing the evaluation by the Federal Controller of Works, whereas noting {that a} complete structural take a look at would nonetheless be carried out.
Also current on the briefing have been the General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Olalekan Bakare-Oki; the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Wale Musa; and different officers of the Federal Ministry of Works.
