...You are selfish, Fashola tells them
Members of the Organised Private Sector(OPS) in Lagos State on Friday appealed to the state government to grant them concessions in the implementation of the new Lagos Traffic Law.
They made the appeal at the Private Sector Stakeholders' forum on the law, organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Ikeja.
The members, who contended that some provisions of the law were not favourable to their business implored Gov. Babatunde Fashola to give them some waivers.
Mr John Aluya, representative of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), said the restriction on the movement of articulated trucks, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., was a big threat to their operations.
He said apart from the security risks trucks might face travelling at night, the poor illumination of most roads might also result in accidents and loss of consignments.
"We, therefore, appeal that our trucks should be allowed to move between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the roads are mostly free,'' he said.
Presenting the position of courier companies on the law, Mr Ralph Ozuede, Managing Director of UPS, said the prescription of 200cc motorcycles for their operations was not convenient.
According to him, 200cc motorcycles are not readily available in the country and cost about N1million each.
"We want the government to allow us some grace of between six months and one year to transit to the prescribed motorcycle capacity .As it is now; it will be difficult for us to get the 200cc engines because they are very expensive,'' he said.
Mr Joseph Umoni, representative of Road Haulage Association of Nigeria, argued that the ban on movement of trucks during the day could cause a lull in their operations as well as loss of jobs.
Responding, Fashola said the traffic law, just like every other law, was not perfect and could be amended.
He, however, said that some of their concerns were based on selfish reasons rather than for the common good, pointing out that the law was made for the prosperity of the state.
"The way some of us do business in the state is not sustainable. We do business to affect others. We need to reconfigure our business models. Things are changing and we need to move fast,'' he said. (NAN)
Vanguard Nigeria
Fashola is doing real good for lagosian citizens.Things have changed ever since he started governing us