Alhaji Mohammed Musa, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Lagos State on Tuesday urged members to adhere strictly to traffic laws and other laws of the state, to stay out of trouble.
Musa gave the advice in Lagos following Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s stance on adherence to traffic rules.
Sanwo-Olu signed his first Executive Order on indiscriminate refuse dumping, traffic management and Public works a day after his inauguration, reiterating the need for residents to obey rules.
The governor had also charged the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to arrest motorists flouting traffic laws and ensure they were punished according to law, irrespective of their status.
Musa urged members of the RTEAN to endeavour to stay on the side of the law, to avoid falling into the hands of law enforcement agents.
He advised the members to desist from driving against traffic, driving without certified documents, throwing dirt out of moving vehicles or operating on restricted routes and highways.
The RTEAN chairman said that most Okada riders (commercial motorcyclists) flouting the laid down traffic laws did not belong to any of the transport unions.
“When any Okada rider is arrested and asked for his union card, you discover that he doesn’t belong to any union.
“We always sensitse our members on the laws and warn them to adhere strictly to them.
“Now that we have a new governor who has declared a state of emergency on traffic management, we want to warn our members again to obey laws so as not to get into trouble.
“If anyone is arrested for flouting the laws, the union will sanction such,’’ he said.
Musa advised the members to be patient on the roads, noting that the government was making efforts to address the gridlock in parts of the state.
He said the union had pledged its support to ensure success of the new government’s initiatives
