ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Bayelsa State chapter, says it is poised to sensitise the motorists, commercial drivers, tricycle operators and other road users on the importance of obeying traffic and safety rules in the state.
The state Chairman, RTEAN, Chief Oyinkuro Erebor, said the sensitisation became necessary because of the flagrant abuse of traffic and safety rules by road users, stressing that obedience to such rules was one of the surest ways of avoiding road mishaps and accidents.
Erebor spoke on Thursday during a media interaction as part of the activities marking his first anniversary as RTEAN’s chairman at Ernest Ikoli Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Yenagoa.
The RTEAN’s boss reiterated his association’s readiness to partner with the NUJ on the need to sensitise the general public to be safety conscious while plying the roads from one location to the other.
He said that RTEAN is listed under Senior Staff/Employers’ Association and is given specific mandates in its approved constitution as the umbrella body for all vehicle owners operating in Nigeria for commercial purposes.
Erebo noted that RTEAN is saddled with the responsiblity of organising periodic road safety campaigns aimed at educating road transporters, particularly commercial drivers on thier civic responsibilities to the travelling masses and observing existing traffic regulations.
He emphasised that the association had absolute control and authority over all motor parks’ activities across the country to facilitate orderliness and ensure complete welfare of passengers and the safety of thier luggages.
He added that the association also works for the elimination of touts at the motor parks in the country.
He said he was using the occasion of the first anniversary in office to mobilise members of RTEAN to always be on the ground to clear traffic logjams in the state to allow free flow of traffic in line with the mandate establishing the association.
He noted that RTEAN was fostering a formidable synergy with the NUJ as part of the measures to have continuous sensitisation of the motoring public on the activities of RTEAN across the state.
The one year anniversary activities include a novelty football match between NUJ and RTEAN which ended 5-4 in favour of RTEAN, interactive session with journalists and a road walk of RTEAN members to enable them to be physically fit while carrying out thier duties.