By Moses Akaigwe
The Lagos State Government has debunked allegations that the newly introduced ‘no-vehicle inspection, no road-worthiness policy’ is an exercise targeted at generating money for the state government.
Director, Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS), Akin-George Fashola, who stated this during an interview on a radio programme, appealed to vehicle owners in Lagos State to come forward with their vehicles as the cost was already inclusive in the total package they paid for renewal of vehicle particulars.
The director disclosed that the old format of issuing a road-worthiness certificate and then expecting the vehicle owners to come and present their vehicle for inspection within 30 days was no longer sustainable as most vehicle owners do not bring their vehicles for the said inspection once the certificate is issued.
“The referral note that we give when you come to us is just for a grace period that covers 30 days in which we expect you to have checked and fixed the vehicle. The referral note is not an automatic clearance”, the director, an engineer, informed.
Fashola further explained that the Vehicle Inspection Service was ramping up its capacity to accommodate more vehicles through the 27 fully-equipped centres with 30 more underway to cover up the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas. He added that the mobile testing centre was also available within the state for companies and owners of large fleets of vehicles.
“You can go to any centre within the length and breadth of the State. Even if you do your first inspection on the mainland and you had to do your second inspection on the Island, you have no problem because they are all connected up’’, Fashola further stated.
The existing 28 Computerised Vehicle Inspection Service centres according to the Director are; Ayobo, Oko-Oba, PWD, Lagos Island, Agric-Ishawo, Owode-Onirin, Bolade-Oshodi, Oke- Odo, Epe, Ojodu, Gbagada, Coker-Aguda, Yaba and Ajah. Others are in Cele, Ibeju-Lekki, Odogunyan, Oko-Afo, Badagry, Ojota, Agbowa, Alausa, Anthony, Suru-Alaba, Omorege- Alaba, LASU, UNILAG, and a Mobile Centre making it 28 operational centres.
The Director, VIS commended motorists for their quick responses as recorded in the number of vehicle inspections conducted at the Ojodu Centre between Tuesday, January 4 and Friday January 7, which stood at 388; a far cry from what was obtainable before the January 1, 2022 commencement date of the Policy.
He, however, solicited for more turnouts from motorists urging them to take advantage of easy accessibility of the centres for their vehicle inspections and services.
Road diversions
The Lagos State Government has announced that Marine Bridge will partially close from tomorrow {Monday, January 17 to Saturday, April 2, 2022} for emergency repair work on the infrastructure.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Transportation, the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, stated that the partial closure was to allow the Federal Government carry out routine maintenance on the bridge.
He further explained that the temporary closure of the bridge is in two sections, Apapa Outbound, which will be repaired between January17 and March 9, 2022, and the Apapa inbound section of the bridge scheduled between1 March 12 and April 2, 2022.
Highlighting the alternative routes, the Transport Commissioner stated that traffic outbound Apapa would be diverted to give way for contra-flow of traffic between RRS point and Total Bridge.
Motorists using lighter vehicles would be diverted to Marine Beach by Mobil filling station to connect Ijora Bridge or make use of service lane by Leventis to connect Naval Dockyard to link Total Under bridge to further their journeys.
For the inbound Apapa motorists during the second phase of the rehabilitation works, Oladeinde explained that traffic inbound Apapa will be diverted to allow contraflow of traffic between Total Bridge and RRS point.
He also added that motorists using lighter vehicles would be allowed to descend towards Total Under Bridge and make use of Fire Service road to connect Marine Beach by Mobil filling station, while those heading towards Apapa will make a detour and connect Area B through NAGAFF using Mobil filling station service lane.
In line with the on-going infrastructure development, the state government will divert traffic on Dopemu Road in Agege area of the state by 10:00pm on Friday t January 21, 2022 for the rehabilitation and upgrade of Babajide Sanwo-Olu Road for a duration of month.
The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, explained that the repair work would be executed in three phases, adding that the first phase of the project would focus on Ipaja road to Adealu street junction which will last for three months.
Oladeinde assured that alternative routes have been mapped by the State’s Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA to enable effective control of vehicular movement along the axis during the duration of the construction.
The Transport Commissioner advised motorists inbound Dopemu Bridge from Iyana Ipaja/Alagba axis to go through Ipaja road to connect Oyewole street into Seriki street which will link them to Kolawole and Adebambo street to access Adealu road for their desired destination.
In the same vein, Motorists heading towards Dopemu Bridge from Ipaja (Oke Koto) are to utilize Markaz road to connect Awori street and link Sarumi Alawo street/Oniwaya and Surulere to continue their journey or alternately go through Alfa Nla from Old Ipaja road to connect Oniwaya/Surulere axis to reach Dopemu Bridge.