Regular training of drivers key to safety of lives and properties ― LASG

LAGOS State government said at the weekend that for the state to continue to enjoy the safety of lives and properties culture there must be regular training and retraining of drivers in skills and awareness of traffic regulations as well as their recertification.

Commissioner for Transportation Mr Ladi Lawanson, stated this at a press conference, saying that the state government had concluded plans to train drivers on rudiments of road safety in a Smart City.

“It is the concern of both the state government and the private sector to ensure that drivers plying our various roads operate optimally hence the reason for this workshop to open up issues as it affects drivers’ skills in the state,” he said, adding that the event was another stride towards making Lagos a liveable smart city.

According to him, the workshop which will commence in the state secretariat on Monday is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Transportation and Lagos Chamber of Commerce, saying it was

 organised for stakeholders to beam the searchlight on the need for regular training and re-certification of all professional drivers in the employ of both private and public sector organisations.

This was just as the commissioner said the state government had invested a lot on infrastructure development towards ensuring hassles-free motoring in the state.

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“Towards hassles-free motoring in the State, this administration has invested so much on the infrastructure of which road construction has taken a huge chunk. The various projects on Bus Stations and Terminals to herald the commencement of the Bus Reform Initiative.

“The initiative through which the introduction of medium and high capacity buses is being planned which will also, definitely, require the services of well-trained drivers to showcase our commitment to re-energising stress-free transportation in the state.

“If we want to continue to enjoy the safety of lives and properties culture in Lagos State, we must ensure regular training and retraining of our drivers in skills and awareness of traffic regulations as well as their recertification,” Lawanson said.

The commissioner pointed out that the law of the state-mandated employers to send their drivers to the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute (LASDRI) yearly, for their re-examination after which they would be issued the certificate of competence at the completion of their requisite training.

He said the institute also offers consultancy services to a fleet of operators and managers.

 “To achieve this objective, LASDRI an agency of the State Ministry of Transportation which has been in existence since June 2008 is mandated to ensure adequate training of drivers in the state with the aid of modern equipment and audio-visuals.

“It is in the realisation of the need for safety on our roads and indeed in the industries that the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry bought into our dream and is willingly collaborating with on this workshop,” he said.