TRACE convenes stakeholders’ meeting to tackle highway gridlock, truck crashes

By Popoola Jamiu, Abeokuta

The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) has convened a strategic stakeholders’ engagement aimed at addressing persistent traffic gridlock and reducing road crashes involving articulated vehicles across the state.

The meeting, held at the TRACE headquarters along Ajebo Road, Abeokuta, brought together representatives of transport unions and truck owners’ associations, including the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, as well as edible tanker drivers and truck owners’ groups.

Addressing participants during the interactive session, TRACE Commander, Commander Elias Adedayo Omonayajo, said the engagement became necessary following increasing incidents of indiscriminate parking, reckless driving and breakdown of trucks along major highways, particularly the Leme-Iyana Mortuary and Abeokuta-Sagamu expressways.

According to him, the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun remains committed to protecting lives and property through sustainable transport policies, institutional reforms and continuous engagement with stakeholders in the transport sector.

Omonayajo urged truck owners and drivers not to view road safety regulations as punitive measures, but as essential steps toward safeguarding lives and ensuring smooth vehicular movement across the state.

He disclosed that several fatal crashes involving truck drivers had been recorded along major corridors such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Benin-Ore Expressway, Sango-Ota-Atan-Owode-Idiroko Highway, Abeokuta-Kobape-Siun Interchange Expressway and the Ewekoro-Ifo-Sango-Ota Expressway.

The TRACE commander identified reckless overtaking, driving against traffic, fatigue resulting from prolonged driving hours, traffic light violations, use of mobile phones while driving and poorly secured truck containers as some of the leading causes of accidents.

He also cited overloading and failure to properly cover transported goods as major violations contributing to road crashes and traffic obstruction.

“Trucks are critical to our economy, but their operations must not endanger lives or disrupt the free flow of traffic. We are moving from appeals to firm enforcement. However, we believe dialogue must come first so that all parties can understand their responsibilities,” Omonayajo stated.

Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders, Alhaji Akanbi Jelili of the Nigeria Union of Mines Workers commended TRACE for organising what he described as a timely and impactful initiative aimed at promoting safer roads and improving operational coordination within the state.

He assured that the outcome of the engagement would be communicated to truck drivers and transport operators for improved compliance with road safety regulations.