THE Commissioner for Transportation, Lagos State, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, has urged the Federal Government to develop a transportation fund for the development of transport infrastructure across the country.
Oladeinde, who spoke on a panel session at the National Transport Technology Conference and Exhibition in Eko Hotels, Lagos, stressed that the Federal Ministry of Transportation should champion the fund by birthing the right policies.
He said, “The Federal Government should develop a policy that allows everybody to contribute into the transport fund. So it should start with the Federal Government, and then the state government. The policy would help states and everyone to develop their own transport fund.”
He noted that though private sector players would also play their part, the Lagos State government, with a commuting population of 15 million, should enact more transportation policies.
The Lagos State Corps Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Olusegun Ogungbemide, noted at the conference that the transportation system in the state was in a crisis due to so much pressure on the road.
Ogungbemide empasised the need for intermodal transportation techniques to reduce the pressure. He noted that the national transportation policy that would guarantee ease of transport has not yet been implemented.
He said, “We have been on the national transportation policy since 1992 at the Tafawa Balewa Square. We do not have a policy up till now. We need government backing and that is the national transportation policy.”
In a related development, the state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said he has approved the establishment of the Inland Waterways Monitoring and Data Management Centre (WMDMC).
The Centre when completed, Sanwo-Olu said, would be able to track the waterways activities in terms of safety and security of lives and property, as well as track command and rescue exercise.
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