Lagos Traffic Law not for revenue generation' -- Fashola

Fashola made the remark while  addressing  traders  and  transport workers  at  the state government-organised   Motor Park Safety and Health Programme  at the Iyana Ipaja Motor Park.

He said  criticisms that the law was promulgated  to make money was unfounded, adding  that  the ultimate objective was the prosperity of the state and its residents.

``Some people have said  we made this law  because we want to make money, but the question is how much money can we make from violators?

``How much money can we really make? This is not about politics, it is about your lives. How much fines can we get? The fines cannot fund the budget of the state.

``But your prosperity, your growth can develop the economy of Lagos in a much more fundamental way. That is the big  picture that  we see,'' Fashola said.

He urged residents,especially  transport workers,  to comply with the provisions of the law,saying the success of the legislation would be determined by voluntary compliance.

The governor also  counselled transport workers against intake of alcohol and hard drugs before and during driving, saying this had significantly contributed  to cases of  road accidents in the state.

He said the state, through traffic officials, would begin  to administer breathalyser on drivers,  to check the alcoholic content of their blood, to ensure they were fit to convey passengers safely.

``We have  designed this safety and  health programme for our transport workers because they are a critical stakeholders in our  transport  sector,and that’s why we are taking it to the motor parks and garages.

``This is the third park I have been to.I was at Ojota and Iddo Motor Parks. Now I am at Iyana Ipaja and the journey continues.

``We urge our transport workers to take advantage of this programme and do what is right  all the time and we hope  that they  would spread the message to others,``he said.

Dr Jide Idris, the state Commissioner for Health, said the  results of screenings at motor parks across the state revealed that a good number of drivers took hard drugs and alcohol and suffered from serious health problems.

Mr Kayode Opeifa, the Commissioner for Transport,said a good number of accidents were caused  by non-adherence to traffic regulations, especially by commercial drivers.

Mr Seeni Agbetu,Managing Director,Guinness Nigeria Ltd., said  his organisation  was interested in responsible drinking at motorparks  especially, as drunk driving was a major killer in the country.

"The programme, apart from sensitising drivers on safety issues, also provides an opportunity for them to screen for diseases like Hypertension and Diabetes that could undermine their job.