TRACE Sensitises, Warns Businesses Against Roadside Abuses|Omohglobalnews

By OLORUNDARE ENIMOLA 

The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, Ogun West Area Command in Ota, has carried out a sensitisation excercise on Tuesday 25, April, in Sango-Otta area and environs to warn business operators especially, Car dealers, beverage drink Depots, retailers and commercial transport operators against abuse of road kerbs and shoulders, stressing that violators will soon be apprehended and prosecuted in the law courts.

According to CDR. Ajibade Adekunle, Area Commander, TRACE, Ogun West, said the sensitisation excercise is at the behest of instruction received from CDR. Seni Ogunyemi, TC/CEO, TRACE, following series of petitions and complains received from the motoring public from Ota, who gave bitter accounts of how the flagrant abuse of road shoulders, kerbs and walkways has contributed to traffic congestions, narrowing of the road and crashes in the town.

Ajibade said, “The festive period of Easter celebration and Eid-El-Fitri holidays are over and businesses are resuming fully which could mark the resurgence of heavy vehicular movements and its attendant traffic gridlocks.

“The sensitisation exercise is therefore a proactive step to alert these Businesses that it is not going to be business as usual. The Ota roads will no longer be allowed for the display of wares, products or items for sales or marketing purposes. The unguarded attitude of using the roadside as sheds, stalls or parking lots for vehicle dealers is no longer acceptable, he added.”

He added that the Corps’ Commander had also instructed his Area Command to write to other security agencies for collaboration in subsequent sensitisation and enforcement exercises for violators to be apprehended.

The sensitisation excercise which Commander Ajibade described as a ‘forewarning sensitisation excercise’ was carried out on the Ilo-Awela, Tollgate, Sango-Underbidge, and Oju-ore areas of Sango-Otta.

In preparation for the next round of the excercise, CDR. Ajibade sent a notification message to, CSP Saleh Dahiru, DPO, Sango Police Command, stating, “In view of the abuse of major road shoulders, kerbs, and walkways in the Sango metropolis, I write to express our desire to collaborate with your Command in achieving the complete evacuation cum clearing of these violators who adamantly have being resisting all efforts to curb their excesses.

‘Our plan is to carry out a ‘two day’ sensitisation exercise with a public address system mounted on a truck to issue directives to them, enumerate the negative impact of encroaching on the roads and subsequent enforcement exercise to follow the sensitisation.” It added.

The notification further reads, “The third day will be for enforcement, involving apprehensions and arrests of violators found around the prohibited places. This is expected to be sustained for some days or week as the case maybe coupled with media reports to further drive home the public awareness.”

Ajibade assured that this is the beginning of many exercises that would include visitations to corporate organisations, organised labour and religious bodies.