By Duchess Ifeoluwa
Ondo State Government has banned the parking of vehicles and display of goods along major roads in Akure, the state capital, as part of measures to ease traffic congestion and ensure the free flow of vehicles amid the ongoing construction of a flyover in the city.
The government has also restricted the operations of commercial motorcycle riders, popularly known as Okadas, around the Government House area in Alagbaka, citing security concerns.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr Muyiwa Ogunyemi, disclosed this on Tuesday, when he paid a courtesy visit to the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council, at the NUJ Press Centre in Akure.
Ogunyemi said the new traffic arrangements were necessary to manage vehicular movement and minimise congestion occasioned by the ongoing flyover construction.
He said Okada riders operating from the Police Officers’ Mess route would no longer be allowed to ply beyond designated points, adding that their operations would terminate around the Teaching Service Commission and Oke Eda axes.
According to him, commercial motorcycles approaching from the First Bank area in Alagbaka would also be restricted to approved locations and would terminate around the Teaching Service Commission axis.
He added that tricycle operators and commercial motorcycle riders currently operating around the Post Office area would be required to relocate in line with the new traffic management arrangements.
The Special Adviser said all tricycles and motorcycles operating along NEPA, Arakale Road and other affected routes would be relocated to designated areas to allow for smoother traffic movement.
He specifically mentioned the Arakale Road–NEPA corridor as one of the major areas where parking restrictions would be enforced.
Ogunyemi warned motorists and other road users against violating traffic lights, saying offenders would be arrested and prosecuted without delay.
He also announced a ban on roadside parking and the display of goods on road corridors, saying public roads and other spaces meant for transportation must not be converted to trading points or workshops.
He frowned at the indiscriminate use of public spaces, particularly bus stops and road shoulders, by traders and artisans.
“For instance, we have noticed that some people have taken over various bus stops and turned them into business centres. Some people have even converted sections of the roads into workshops. This is unacceptable,” he said.
Ogunyemi stressed that designated bus stops must be used strictly for passenger pick-up and drop-off, warning that the government would no longer tolerate illegal parking, roadside trading or other activities that obstruct traffic.
He urged residents, commercial transport operators and other road users to cooperate with the government as it implements the new traffic arrangements and works towards modernising the transportation system in Akure.
The Special Adviser also disclosed that additional traffic management facilities, including zebra crossings and speed-limit signs, would be installed at strategic locations, particularly around schools and other sensitive areas, to improve road safety.
“People should cooperate with the government to allow the free flow of traffic. Government is doing everything possible to make the state capital a better place,” he said.
He advised motorists, commercial transport operators and other road users to pay attention to road signs and comply with traffic regulations to avoid arrest and prosecution.
