President of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA), Dr Segun Obayendo has attributed lack of professionalism and adequate regulation has the cause of backwardness in the transportation sector.
Obayendo stated this while speaking during the South West Conference of the institute in Lagos with the theme ‘The Role Of Transport And Logistics In Sustainable Development’.
The CIoTA President said that foreigner’s assess any country they visit through the transportation sector.
“There should be standards and certification for people who intend to operate transport business and not the present trend whereby people that lost their jobs dabble into transport business without any restriction.
“If transportation is regulated and enforced attitude of motorists will change because people who park and overtake indiscriminately will be penalised”, he declared.
The President stated categorically that there should be terms and conditions before becoming a transporter and not the present free entry and exit leading to chaos in the transport system.
He opined that adequate regulation and enforcement will reduce recklessness and accidents on our roads adding that government should evolve a National Transport Policy so that all stakeholders will know their boundaries.
While calling on other states to emulate Lagos state in the development of intermodal transportation, Obayendo commended Lagos Lagos State Traffic Management Authority for maximal deployment of technology in traffic management through establishment of control tower to monitor traffic in the state.
Presenting a paper during the conference, the Director of the Centre for Multimodal Transport Studies, University of Lagos, Prof. Iyiola Oni, said that transports contribute directly to five of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets on road safety.
He urged the Institute to leverage on the autonomous status granted Local government councils through the recent Supreme Court Judgement, to advocate that local governments should invest in development of road infrastructures in order to reduce impact of oil subsidy removal.
Oni stated that local government tiers of government are closer to the grassroots and are in better position to know and address the road infrastructural needs of the people
In a paper presentation themed: “The Role Of Transport And Logistics In Sustainable Development”, he said that as much as Federal and state governments have responsibility to repair and maintain the roads, the Local governments own 60% of the roads and should fix same especially now that revenue is allocated directly to them from the federation account.
Oni advised federal and state governments to desist from the approach of purchasing and distributing rice and beans as palliatives which seldom reach the vulnerable advising that revenue accruing from oil subsidy removal should be used to develop critical sectors like health, education and particularly transportation.
He explained further that development of all the modes of transportation will enhance movement goods, service and commuters from one location to another and by extension boost economic development.
According to him, the level of accessibility of people to various modes of transportation from one location to another determines the level of of development of a country.
Chairman, Lagos State Chapter, CIOTA, Dr. Taiwo Salaam in his welcome address said transport and logistics are the backbone of any economy, serving as the veins through which the lifeblood of commerce, industry, and social interaction flows.
He however noted that the world is changing rapidly, and so must our strategies and approaches adding that the role of transport and logistics must evolve to meet the demands of a future that prioritizes environmental stewardship, economic resilience, and social equity.
Group Captain John Ojikutu (Rrtd), in his presentation noted that the present focus should be on intermodal transportation.
He acknowledged efforts of Lagos state government in building infrastructure to boost intermodal transport but that the yellow buses, taxies and “Keke Marwa” are not properly regulated leading to indiscriminate parking on the roads.
In the case of aviation mode of transportation, Ojikutu posited that in the last 40 years there has not been any serious development in the Nigerian aviation sector.
