Sanwo-Olu inaugurates 12-member advisory council on road safety

IBRAHIM QUADRI

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday inaugurated a 12-member State Road Safety Advisory Council (SaRSAC), urging them to contribute their quota to make the road safer and a working experience.

Governor Sanwo-Olu who chaired the board with his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat as an alternate chairman stated at the Banquet Hall, Lagos House Marina, that the initiative demonstrated the committment of his administration places premium on the lives of the citizens and to ensure safety on Lagos roads.

The Governor also said objectives of the council included to ensure road infrastructure comply with global standards, draft the implementation of the road safety strategy, ensure coordination between the state and local governments, development of funding plan for road safety, monitoring of funds disbursed for the initiative, ensure representation at the national working group among other duties.

He said a technical committee would soon be set up, while thanking every member selected to serve in the board which included the Commissioners for Transportation, Fredric Oladeinde, Health, Akin Abayomi, Education, Folasade Adefisayo, Environment,  Tunji Bello, Finance, Rabiu Olowo, Attorney  General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, Lagos Federal Road Safety Command, Sector Commander, Olusegun Ogungbemide, among others.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said, “This ceremony is a demonstration of our administration’s commitment to ensuring safety on our roads through the implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy II which encapsulates the key strategic elements that will provide direction for the 2019 – 2023 plan period.

“Our administration places premium on safety of lives and property of the citizens and we have continued to demonstrate this commitment through the implementation of various policies and strategies aimed at making our roads safer for all.  As a sub – national government, we have been in the fore-front  in the implementation of global road safety strategies including the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety which ended in 2020.

“Part of the strategies we are implementing include ensuring that our roads infrastructure complies with global standard for safety, capacity improvement of relevant  agencies including Vehicle Inspection Services (VIS), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), and the State Fire Service.

“The primary responsibility of this Council which comprises principal road safety stakeholders is to drive the implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) in the State.”

Speaking earlier in his address, the  Commissioner for Transport, said the board was a committment to address road safety challenges in line with THEMES agenda as well as channel the narrative of safety on Lagos and expected to produce a road safety blueprint while urging Lagosians to support the initiative.

He said, “It is worthy of note that road traffic accident is one of  the leading causes of deaths in the world with at least 1.3 million deaths according to the 2018 global status report by WHO. Worst hit is the African continent with road traffic accidents at 26.6%, while Europe has the lowest with 10.4%

“One of the key strategic initiatives of the 2017 inauguration is to review and upgrade road designs standards; to allocate 20% of the Road Safety Intervention Fund to Non Motorized Transport Initiatives and to establish the State Road Safety Advisory Councils at State level. It is the last part, the need to inaugurate Road Safety Advisory Council at State Level that has brought all of us here today.

“”Lagos State as a trailblazing state and in line with its THEMES agenda is today inaugurating a 12-man Lagos State Road Safety Advisory Council which will not only come forward with clear Road Safety blueprints but also stem the tide of road traffic crashes and its attendant socio-economic losses through fatalities and injuries in the South West Region,” the Commissioner added.

He enjoined Lagos resisents to support the Council in every way possible as they take ownership of this brainchild which was created to save lives and property.