Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has said that his administration will continue to restructure the transportation sector in the state with a view to leaving a sustainable legacy in the sector.
The governor added that with the completion of Terminals 1 & 2 of the Ibadan Central Bus Station, Iwo Road, his government has brought about a massive turnaround in the transportation sector, with a well-organised system and a solid management.
He noted, however, that the administration will not stop at that, as it plans to sponsor the leadership of the Park Management System (PMS) and motorcycle riders to Rwanda where they will gain further insights into how to better manage the transport system and make life more comfortable for residents of the state through their services.
The governor stated these on Sunday, during the opening of a Leisure Park named after former Governor Victor Omololu Olunloyo, at Airport Road, Alakia, Ibadan.
Eulogising the late former governor, Governor Makinde said the government remained committed to its promise of digitising Dr Olunloyo’s library so it can serve as a resource base for members of the public as well as a tourist attraction site.
He said: “I have said that we would fix Dr Omololu Olunloyo’s library, and that commitment remains. We will do this to immortalise a highly cerebral individual, who gave a great part of his life to serving our dear state.
“When I came into office in 2019, this particular spot used to host some shops, and the road to the airport was just a narrow road, and there was nothing outside the gate here. But today, the environment has changed considerably. We have constructed the dual carriageway to the Airport and this Omololu Olunloyo Leisure Park has also sprung up. It will host people from the 18th of December for Vibing December.”
Speaking on how his government has succeeded in transforming Ibadan landscape, especially transportation around Iwo Road axis and other locations through infrastructure development and restructuring of the transportation sector, the governor said there is a better coordination in the sector and that his government will not rest on its oars.
“We now have in Iwo Road a system that has a management, and you can account for all the buses that are leaving the terminals to wherever they are going. But we are not stopping at that.
“I will sponsor their leadership and the leadership of Okada riders to Kigali, Rwanda. I will sponsor them to understudy how those people have organised their transport sector.
“Yes, commercial motorcycles are everywhere in Kigali, but they are well-identified. They take helmets with them — one for the passenger and one for the rider. They don’t carry two passengers. So, we need to understudy this model as we want to sanitise the system.
“Commercial motorcycle riders, which are about 50,000, can be banned. It is the easiest thing to do. But if they are filling a gap, what we have to do is to regulate them and ensure that we minimise accidents and let them earn a living.
“If we ask them to stop operating, I can tell you that criminals will multiply. I know that people have been talking and asking what the government is doing about the issue of okada riders, because they have been banned in the metropolis of other states. Well, your government is doing something that will be sustainable and beneficial to all of us.”
