The Lagos State Government on Wednesday said plans are in the offing to introduce a new taxi policy that makes it compulsory for the commercial bus drivers, conductors to wear uniforms and badges in the New Year.
The state’s Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, revealed this at a stakeholder’s forum held at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja.
Opeifa said that the move was part of state government’s determination to transform the public transport industry, enhance professionalism, ensure standards and safety of the people.
He said that with the new public transport management system, the state government would re-introduce the routing system in order to ensure even distribution of vehicles and non-hiking of transport fares, especially during peak periods.
According to him, the routing system is in line with Regulation 20 of the Road Traffic Law with stipulates that no commercial vehicle shall ply any route other than that for which it is authorised.
Opeifa said that aside from the routing system, the commuter vehicle operator was expected to register himself, the driver and conductor before getting a commercial vehicle operator license.
The Commissioner, who said that about 200 Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) had been trained to handle the documentation, appealed to commuter vehicle operators and transport unions to go to any of the 21 vehicle inspection service centres in their localities, while the drivers and conductors should go to any of the five Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI) in their division.