Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has set up the Edo State Public Response Safety Team (PRST) to check frequent traffic gridlock especially in and around the King square, Benin City and other busy intersections.
The gridlock is often caused by indiscriminate parking, picking and dropping off of passengers, street trading among others.
Embarking on a sensitization tour around the city centre, Coordinator of the team, Kelly Okungbowa said the exercise was very important to enable the people know of the team’s existence in order to ensure that law and order is restored.
He noted that a mobile Court will soon be set up by the state government to try offenders as anyone found guilty will embark on community service.
“We are here to clear Ring Road and all the streets around King Square of illegal street trading, wrong parking leading to traffic gridlock around the city centre.
He said”The governor has introduced
Public Response Safety Team and our job is to clear the city centre and ensure all those traders on the streets and walkways, market women and drivers who trade and park indiscriminately are checked to ensure free flow of traffic.
“Bus and taxi drivers, market women, street traders and all others who are in the habit of causing obstruction leading to traffic gridlock are warned to desist and ensure free flow of traffic in Benin City and across the State.
“We have not started arrest of defaulters yet, but rather we have just embarked on sensitization to enable the people know that the Edo State government frowns at illegal street trading, indiscriminate parking and picking of passengers.
“It is for them to know that the State government will not condone illegality and lawlessness. It can’t be business as usual as the government has given us the mandate to clear the city centre and environs, ensuring we restore law and order and allow free flow of traffic.
“A mobile Court will be set up by the State Government to try offenders and if found guilty will be made to face community service. This will be for a start as the governor said for now nobody should be sent to prison.
“We have the security agencies with us on this operation ensuring that the law is enforced. We are creating awareness from now till Saturday. We have asked the market women to all move inside the market and asked drivers to relocate away from the King Square.
“In carrying out this task, we will have two shifts, one in the morning from 7am to 4pm while the afternoon shift will start from 4pm to 8pm daily. This is our plan as Edo must be clean and neat”.
