By Adeola Tukuru
Abuja
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has harped on need to develop an effective national road transport and transit management framework in the country.
Amaechi noted that if properly handled, the Trans-border Corridor Operations and Mass Transport Delivery will ease the stress of doing business with border countries and encourage sustainable mass transit system.
The minister stated this at the just concluded Stakeholders Workshop on Road Transport and Mass Transit Operations in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
Amaechi in his remark said the objectives of this workshop was to explore more opportunities to effectively engage relevant stakeholders in the development of the much needed sophisticated transportation infrastructure that will make road transportation contribute immensely to the economy.
“Engendering efforts towards the implementation of the Inter-State-Road Transit (ISRT) Scheme approved by ECOWAS as a guarantee processes for goods transiting Littoral to Land-Locked countries of the Sub-region.”
In his opening remarks, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, noted that developing an effective transport policy is critical as it the ease of moving goods and services from industrial areas to the end users either in urban or rural settings holds the key to economic prosperity.
Fashola, represented by Director Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry, Dr. Famous Eseduwo, stated that the theme of this year Stakeholders Workshop as it emphasized the need to urgently develop Nigerian roads.
He disclosed that the ministry has prioritized its road development programme so that roads leading to centers with high economic activities like ports, agriculture and mineral producing areas are allocated funds in its yearly appropriation.
Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah in his submission, said that corrupts ministers, governors, and National Assembly members has turned constituency projects and village roads into federal roads thereby creating the problem of managing the roads.
Part of the meeting includes the review of resolutions reached at the 2016 Road Stakeholders workshop includes: development of a National Road Transport Operators’ Manual as a guide to achieving safety, security and regulation in commercial motor vehicle operations in the country and the provision of platform for Private Sector to showcase their innovations to critical Stakeholders in order to achieve a buy-in and deliver on Intelligent Transport System (ITS) applications in service delivery among others.
