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The Oyo State Government has officially inaugurated the drivers’ institute, an offshoot of the state’s Ministry of Works and Transportation.
The inauguration ceremony which held on Monday at the PWD building, Ministry of Works and Transport annex, Eleyele, Ibadan, was attended by major players in the road transportation industry in the state.
Tribune Online quotes the officer in charge of the institute, Mr Victor Ogunranti, as saying that the bill to establish the institute was passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly in 2012 and signed into law former governor Abiola Ajimobi in 2014.
On why the inaguration of the institute was coming five years after Ogunranti explained that the need to have proper consultation and adequate collaboration with major stakeholders in the industry to ensure smooth takeoff caused the delay.
He expressed confidence that the series of trainings lined up for drivers in the state by the institute would drastically reduce accidents on the roads.
Speaking on the occasion, Head of Service, Oyo State, Mrs Ololade Agboola, explaned that the institute was established to address the present driving culture which was characterised by flagrant disobedience to traffic rules, signs and regulations, due to lack of knowledge of simple rules governing right of way with a resultant effects of road crashes, traffic jams/congestion, road rage, environmental pollution, health hazard and so on.
Agboola, who was represented on the occasion by the Director, Vehicle Inspection Services, Ministry of Works and Transport, Oyo state, Mr James Opalola, posited that the institute would in addition develop a right attitude towards driving responsibilities to instill understanding of traffic regulations and create good driving habits.