Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, on Friday said that vehicles without road worthiness certificates from its computerised inspection project would soon be restricted from plying state’s roads.
Akeredolu made this known in Akure during the inauguration of the Ondo State Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre.
The Governor explained that this would protect the lives and property of the people, and ensure their safety on the roads in the state.
He described the centre as an auto trauma centre where comprehensive electrical and mechanical checks, on all kinds of vehicles, would be carried out before awarding the road worthiness certificate.
According to him, the era of awarding certificate of road worthiness without the necessary and mandatory test is gone.
“It is our belief that any reform designed to ameliorate the parlous conditions, noticeable in any sector, must take into account happenings on a global scale.
“Our administration inherited a moribund and corruption ridden transportation system.
“The Vehicle Inspection Office managed by officials of the state operated up till this moment without modeled technology.
“The transport sector of any upwardly mobile society should not be designed, primarily, as a revenue generating agency.
“The safety of lives and property of all those who use our roads must be paramount in all our considerations,” the Governor said.
Earlier, Mr Tobi Ogunleye, Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor on Transport, said the computerised centre was a paradigm shift from the previous analogue method.
The governor’s aide said that the new one is more reliable, succinct and definite digital method of vehicle inspection.
He explained that it would guarantee and ensure safety of lives and property of road users in the state.
“This project is to change the draconian old order of examining and inspecting vehicles by our Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) with their intuition and guess work to determine the integrity of our vehicles to a more reliable and dependable scientific method.
“It will use the best scientific and technical analysis for the issuance of road worthy certificates for our vehicles on our roads,” he said.
He further noted that the fundamental objective of this administration on the project was not focused on inordinate quest for revenue generation as being speculated by some critics.
“Rather, it is predicated and or centered basically on how best lives and property of all road users could be well protected from unwarranted road accidents and/or crashes.
“This new technology of inspecting vehicles here in Ondo State shall tremendously enhance service delivery of Vehicle Inspection Officers in the state.
“They have been propelled to undergo a mandatory professional training to be in tune with the new digital order.
Also, Mr Segun Obayendo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Messrs Temple Resources Limited, commended the governor for being among the first to key into the computerized vehicle inspection.
He further lauded the achievements of Akeredolu, and disclosed that the centre has the capacity to inspect 120 vehicles per day.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project was a Public Private Partnership between the Ondo State Government and Messrs Temple Resources Limited.
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