RTEAN commends FG over introduction of tollgate on Federal roads
… Makes fresh call for the creation of transport ban
By Abba-Eku Onyeka, Abuja
The Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has commended the Federal Government for reopening tollgates on Federal roads in Nigeria.
The Association also made a fresh appeal for the establishment of Transport Bank (TB), saying that establishment of the bank would go a long way in helping the transport sector to thrive and boost Nigeria’s economy too.
The Executive National President of the Association, Alhaji Musa Mohammed (Maitakobi), made this calls during an interview with Jjournalists at the Association’s national secretariat in Abuja.
He said: “We commend the FG for reopening the tollgate, in line with our requests. Having been loosing lives, vehicles, properties, among others, in discharge of our duties to bad roads, which result into poor businesses generally, we have been appealing to FG to invite the private sectors to the roads, their management and opening of tollgates, payment for the roads used which is usually minimal and maintenance of the roads would be the beginning of reducing of problems on the roads to the barest minimum in Nigeria.”
Nothing that a lot of people has sustained injuries of all sorts on the roads, he said that all the menaces were as a result of bad roads that give rise to kidnapping, among other evil acts being perpetrated across the country. This, he said, promotes insecurity.
Still lamenting poor states of roads, which he believes the reopening of the tollgates and management of the roads by the private sectors will address, he said that bad roads accelerate overtaking of drivers and kidnapping of passengers there-in.
He added that poor states of roads in the country delayed delivery of passengers, goods and services to their destinations on time and putting of less vehicles on the road. He said it this would result into missing passengers’ targets, decaying of perishable goods and bad business to transporters and Nigerians in general.
He said: “This is simple when an individual or company is given about two, four or more kilometres of any given road to manage and maintain, such individual or company will then put in place a tollgate, maintain or build the road properly, collect fees from the users.
“We have visited other countries and how much is paid for a parking space? You are paying for water, electricity, among others and nobody is complaining. Why are we complaining for something that saves lives and properties? So we are solidly behind the FG for the development.”
On transport bank, he said as there were Bank of Industry and Bank of Agric for those in those sectors, the establishment of Bank of Transport for the sector that operates on the land, sea and in the air would give the country its deserved transport services.
He urged all to join hands in economic development of the Nigeria, he informed that the newly launched passengers insurance scheme has been fruitful, adding that association would brief the press on its results and also invite them at the completion and opening of their secretariat, as soon as possible.
The RTEAN, according to him, for the first time, bought a whole building in FCT which is currently under construction to serve as the secretariat of the Association in the nation’s capital.
He explained that in order to introduce innovations in their services, RTEAN recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with some companies to bring in some vehicles that have not been brought into the country toward acceleration of their plans for Nigerians.
He said operation of motorcycles and tricycles have helped many youths to sustain a living. He notes that banning of motorcycle method of transport has made vulcanizers, among others to lose their means of livelihood, just as he said RTEAN was always there to train and assist youths in the areas of transport.
