‘Professionalism, regulations key to effective transport system’

To achieve an effective and efficient transportation system in Nigeria, professionalism and adequate regulations must be implemented fully.This was the position of the President/Chairman of the Council, Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIOTA), Segun Obayendo, at the South West Zonal Conference of the institute held in Lagos.

According to Obayendo, the transportation system speaks volumes of who we are. Transportation should not be seen as a free entry and free exit sector.

“Stringent conditions for entry and exit should be applied. That will be the beginning of a real reduction of accidents on our roads,” he said. The transportation chieftain nonetheless commended the Lagos State Transport Management Agency (LASTMA) for recently launching a traffic control centre, as according to him, “that further underscores the fact that we need to deploy technology maximally”.

Obayendo charged the newly inducted CIOTA members to be good ambassadors of the institute, saying: “You are not at the wrong place; you are at the right place at the right time.”

One of the guest lecturers, Prof. Samuel Oni, of the University of Lagos, who spoke on the theme, ‘the role of transport and logistics in sustainable development ‘, urged the institute to take sustainable transport campaigns to the grassroots, at the local government levels.

The other guest lecturer, Captain John Ojikutu, who is a retired military officer and a resource person on aviation studies, urged the government to hand off non-aeronautical areas in airports across the country and concentrate on regulation and safety.

He also advised state governors to stop building airports, and rather concentrate on maximising airports of closer proximity.

Earlier in his opening speech, the Chairman of CIOTA, Lagos Chapter, Dr Taiwo Salaam, stated that the ‘theme (of the event) is not only timely but also critical as we continue to navigate the complexities of our nation’s economic landscape’.

“Transport and logistics are the backbone of any economy, serving as the veins through which the lifeblood of commerce, industry and social interaction flows. Without efficient and sustainable transport systems, our aspirations for economic growth and development would remain just that –aspirations,” he noted.