The Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) has launched an Enlightenment Centre, specifically for traffic violators.
The OYRTMA chairman, Major Adesagba Adekoya (rtd), announced this in Ibadan shortly after engaging some traffic violators apprehended on Wednesday.
Adekoya said the centre aims to educate individuals who have broken traffic rules in the state through screening of accident documentaries, providing them with necessary knowledge and understanding to avoid future violation and promote safer road practices.
Adekoya said the daily exercise is aimed to educate traffic violators about the consequences of driving or riding against traffic rules, maintaining that it’s crucial to continue educating them about the dangers of violating traffic rules.
He asserted that the agency’s role goes beyond processing traffic offenders for fines or judicial proceedings, “as we value compliance at this agency.”
“That is why we established this centre to enlighten offenders about dangers of violating traffic rules and regulations,” he said.
He further stated that most offenders, after the enlightenment, “will pledge not to violate traffic rules again, having seen the dangers including amputation, dismemberment, and even death.”
Adekoya further stated that tickets would be issued after the documentary exercise, and offenders would face the tribunal, which would determine the penalty, “because we have embedded fairness into our system, adhering to the rule of law”.
He emphasised that the exercise is conducted daily since the agency operates between Monday and Saturday.
The chairman urged all motorists and other road users to always obey traffic rules, stressing that obedience is more important than sacrifice and that the agency prioritise compliance over fines.
Some offenders, who spoke with newsmen, said they learned valuable lessons from the accident documentary they watched.
A commercial driver, who identified himself as ‘Kampo’, said the documentary taught him the importance of road signs and traffic lights.
He vowed never to take unnecessary risks while driving.
A commercial tricycle operator, John Eniafe, said that the accident documentary made him realise the usefulness of side mirrors and promised to apply the lessons learnt.