The General Manager of the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute, Mrs Afusat Tiamiyu, disclosed this, according to a statement on Sunday, during an event held at Iyana Ipaja.

Tiamiyu added that the institute has partnered with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Vehicle Inspection Service, and the Federal Road Safety Corp, to take this year’s ‘Ember months’ safety advocacy campaign’ to Iyana Ipaja motor park to ensure safer roads.

She said, “People have tagged the ember months as deadly months due to the high rate of road accidents, thus there is an urgent need to enlighten and sensitise commercial vehicle drivers to the need to make safety their priority and avoid over-speeding while moving from one point to another.

“The Lagos State government has empowered LASDRI to compulsorily take the training to drivers at their various parks so that they can know what is expected of them during and beyond the ember months. We believe that with training, re-training, and recertification of drivers, we will bring the best out of them and get to zero level accident rate which is our target.”

The LASTMA Commandant in charge of the Iyana-Ipaja axis, Mr Kehinde Makinde, explained that the traffic laws and regulations put in place by the state government were for the good of the drivers and the safety of the motoring public.

According to the statement signed by the Hon. Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde on Monday, 23rd March 2020., it outlined guidelines that must be adhered to by all public transport operators:

COVID 19: Public transport preventive measures guidelines to curb further spread of coronavirus in buses, cabs, motor parks and garages.

As part of the efforts by the Lagos State Government to further prevent a State- widespread of COVID-19 especially in motor parks, garages, and another public transportation-related environment, the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation is hereby notifying the general public through this statement that the following guidelines are henceforth compulsory for all stakeholders in public transportation in the State to comply with:

1. All Transport Operators/Companies are expected to sanitize their parks and garages regularly and continuously (at least before and after each trip)

2. All Transport Operators/Companies are expected to have at the entrance to their respective parks/garages, washing hand equipment with soap and running water.
3. All Operators are expected to have alcohol-based sanitizers in their Vehicles for the use of Drivers, Conductors and Passengers
4. All Operators are not allowed to overcrowd/overload their vehicles at this point in time, Passenger’s spacing must be fully observed. NCDC recommends that at least 2m (5feet) distance is required between anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness.
5. No standing in all BRT and LBSL bus operations

6. All buses should be at 60% capacity and not 100% (i.e danfo and other commercial buses)

7. All Air Conditioning System in public transport be put off

8. All public transport Operators/Company must have a temperature reader to test each passenger before boarding the bus

9. All drivers and conductors should always wear hand gloves and nose guides while in transit

10. All passengers are also required to sanitize themselves before and after each trip

11. Passengers are also required to regularly wash their hands with soap and running water before and after each trip

12. Operators/Companies and passengers are expected to report any suspected case of COVID-19 to the Ministry of Transportation or call 08000CORONA

13. Passenger are also expected to report any Operator/Company that does not comply with these guidelines to the Monitoring Officer at sight or write to the Ministry, stating the Vehicle Registration Number, Park and Time.

With this directive well disseminated to you our transport Stakeholders and the men of the realms of the fourth estate, we are confident that together we can put off this ranging fire of COVID-19.

Together we can stop further spread of the virus in Lagos State and Nigeria.

I thank you for listening and God bless.