Lagos – Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday, commiserated with the victims of the recent fire incident at Ojuelegba Bridge in Surulere Local Government of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that an articulated vehicle, loaded with petrol fell off the Ojuelegba Bridge and caused an inferno which destroyed many houses and cars on Dec. 5.
The condolence followed a motion moved by Mr Desmond Elliot (APC- Surulere I) and seconded by Mr Rotimi Abiru (APC-Somolu II) during consideration of matter of public importance.
The House expressed concern over the incessant loss of lives and property due to the activities of drivers of articulated vehicles at Ojuelegba Bridge area of Lagos.
The lawmakers took turns to call for drastic action to end the menace.
Elliot urged the House to as a matter of urgency, call on Mr Fouad Oki the Director-General, Lagos State Safety Commission, to put necessary measures in place to forestall re-occurrence.
The lawmaker said that without such adequate measures in place, such incident would repeat itself in a matter of days.
In his contribution, Mr Jude Idimogu (PDP-Oshodi-Isolo II), said, “One of the ways to halt the menace is for articulated vehicles stopped from plying the bridge outright.
“Rather, they should be mandated to take the route underneath it, we cannot continue to lose lives and property to the carelessness of drivers of articulated vehicles.”
On his part, Mr Tunde Braimoh (APC-Kosofe II) called for the immediate fixing of weight barriers at the entrance of the bridge to prevent heavy vehicles from plying the bridge.
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Also speaking, Mr Sola Giwa (APC-Lagos Island II), argued that restricting articulated vehicles from plying the bridges could cause more problems and security risks in some areas.
He stressed the need for the state government to enforce relevant state traffic laws which would mandate drivers of articulated vehicles to ply the road only at night in the state.
The lawmaker added that transportation by rail would bring lasting solution to the menace of articulated vehicles.
Mr Bisi Yusuff (APC-Alimosho I), who called for attitudinal change on the part of drivers, prescribed stiffer penalty for reckless drivers.
NAN reports that the latest incident at Ojuelegba occurred weeks after another articulated vehicle fell off the bridge and crushed many people. (NAN)
