240,000 Vehicles in Lagos Not Road Worthy, Says LASG

Report puts Nigeria’s fatality rate at 33.7%

Gboyega Akinsanmi

The Lagos State Government on Thursday lamented the increasing number of rickety vehicles on the state roads, noting that of the 1.2 million operational vehicles, 240,000 are not road worthy.

The state government also cited a recent report that put the rate of fatality on Nigerian roads at 33.7 percent per 100,000 population, thus making it the highest on the continent.

The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Ekundayo Mobereola, disclosed these at a news conference he addressed at the state secretariat, Alausa, to mark the 2016 bi-annual safety week.

He addressed the conference alongside Special Adviser on Transportation, Hon. Olarenwaju Elegushi, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Oluseyi Whenu and Chief Executive of Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS), Abdul-Hafiz Toriola among others.

At the conference, the commissioner highlighted the state government’s effort at ensuring security include rehabilitating the roads, improving drivers’ competence, insisting on monitoring of vehicles and promoting attitudinal change among the road users, especially, the drivers.

Of the 45,037 vehicles apprehended in 2015, Mobereola pointed out that 8,012, which constituted 20 percent, “were not road worthy. This was extended to about 240,000, out of 1.2 million vehicles apprehended in the period under review.”

He lamented that that along with South Africa, Nigeria “has highest number of fatality rates in Africa. A study shows that Nigeria and South Africa have the highest fatality rates of 33.7 percent and 31.9 percent per 100,000 population respectively in Africa.

“It is in this wise that we say safety is not just a government thing. Rather, it is for all citizens. When you maintain a vehicle, you are guaranteeing a life. There are no economic arguments for allowing rickety vehicles just simply because we cannot place premium on any life.”

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