NURTW backs new Lagos Traffic Law

The new Lagos Road Traffic Law Monday garnered more support from stakeholders in the transport sector as the National Union of Road Transport Workers pledged to cooperate with the government to ensure full implementation of the law.

President of the Union, Alhaji Najeen Usman Yasin, who made the pledge at Lagos House, Ikeja, while on a courtesy visit to the State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), pledged that members of the Union would remain law abiding in the exercise of their lawful functions in the State.


Alhaji Yasin, who led other top officials of the national body of the Union on the courtesy visit, noted with gratitude that the administration of Governor Fashola had, through its people-orientated policies, especially in the Transport sector, enabled the Union to prosper through the establishment of mass transit operation in the State.

He told the Governor, “We seize this opportunity to convey our deep appreciation for the consideration of NURTW as a recipient of your generosity as demonstrated by the maximum support Lagos State Government gave the union, especially in the establishment of the BRT scheme”.

“Implementation of the BRT scheme by the Union has, apart from assisting our Union to acquire vehicles for mass transit operations, also gone a long way towards boosting public transport and accessibility to safe and secure road transportation in the State”, the Union President said.

The President commended the Lagos State Ministry of Transport , LAGBUS and the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) for working assiduously to fashion out modes of operation of the mass transit buses through the objective selection of routes and locations so as to ensure ease of administration, deployment, maintenance and convenience of prospective passengers who patronize the buses.

Yasin also praised the administration of Governor Fashola for “the spate of development that cut across the entire State”, adding, “The various strategies being implemented by your administration over the years has indeed gone a long way towards improving the welfare of the working class and addressing the infrastructure deficit in such vital areas like roads, transportation, health, education and security”.

“Taking stock of the numerous developmental projects embarked upon by Your Excellency since assumption of office in 2007, it is our belief that advancing the socio-economic growth, development, prosperity and peaceful co-existence of the good people of Lagos State is your basic objective”, the union President said

Responding, Governor Fashola charged the union members to be champions of the change that the State is bringing about through the new Traffic law, because, according to him, “You are the greatest beneficiaries”, adding that the only way to succeed with the new law is for the members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers to play within the rules as provided in the law and not outside it.

The Law, according to the Governor, does not seek to punish anyone but to ensure that sanity is restored on the highways, stressing that what many people do not realize is that each time a vehicle drives against traffic, the resultant traffic congestion results in loss of man hours.

Governor Fashola explained that contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the new Lagos Traffic law has not banned the activities of the NURTW but has only directed that all activities of transport unions be conducted in the union offices.