Oyo govt to install more traffic lights to curb gridlock

The Oyo State government said it will install more traffic light in areas with heavy vehicular movement within Ibadan metropolis to curb traffic gridlock.

This was contained in a statement signed and made available to Tribune Online by the commissioner of information, culture and tourism, Hon Wasiu Olatunbosun, on Wednesday, after the tour of the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Prof Raphael Afonja, round the state capital.

Olatunbosun quoted the commissioner of works to have hinted that the purpose of the tour was to meet with relevant stakeholders within the major highways whose daily activities directly or indirectly impacted on the traffic situation in the State.

According to him, the tour was to channel a good course on how to achieve a common goal.

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“Ibadan metropolis has been faced with lots of bottlenecks when it comes to traffic and we are here to do a traffic study; there is need for enforcement and sustainability of the enforcement.

He further added that reckless drivers and drivers who engage in double parking on roads will be apprehended and legally trialled.

“The people who are driving recklessly or engaging in double parking on our local roads will be apprehended and this will be followed with trial which may lead to the seizure of their vehicles.

“We want free flow of traffic on our roads and we do not want people encroaching on the main road.

“But we need to take the sensitisation to them first, and as well provide the needed control mechanism, which is why we are planning to install more traffic lights,” the commissioner stated.

He identified areas prone to vehicular gridlock to include Felele and Challenge.

According to him, traffic control equipment would be installed in areas that were prone to vehicular gridlocks such as Felele and Challenge area in order to further reduce the menace in such areas.

He further added that there would also be road markings in order to prevent encroachment from one lane to another as he described this as the major cause of many accidents on the major roads.

Afonja explained that the sensitisation, which took place at different interchanges within Ibadan such as Bus-Stop Gate, Mokola, Dugbe, and Eleyele interchange, would be followed by strict enforcement and sanctions.

He added that the enforcement was not meant to cause pain or hardship to anyone but to bring respite to road users and also improve the economy of the State.