The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has called on states to key into the programmes and policies of the Federal Government in developing the nation’s transportation sector.
Amaechi made the call at the ongoing meeting of Nigerian Transportation Commissioners Forum, on Friday, in Abuja.
The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Sabiu Zakari, said that the Forum would offer the transport sector the much required inter-governmental partnership for formulating and executing pro-people policies, programmes and projects.
He added that the ministry had developed and would continue to develop several projects and programmes that would require collaboration with the states, in order to ensure effective implementation.
Amaechi listed some of the programmes to include development of Road Transport Operators Manual, Road Crime Control System (RCCS), Introduction of Truck Transit Parks (TTPs) and Development of Urban Mass Transit Transportation.
“There is also the introduction of Green Transportation and Amphibious vehicles.
“I am hopeful that this will remain a platform for interaction, for generation, integration and harmonisation of policies, programmes, and initiatives geared towards moving transportation forward.
“I want to state that your goals can only be achieved if you sustain the forum as a team.
“As you well know, the continuity of this platform would largely depend on the level of co-operation and sacrifice you are willing to make for its success,” he said.
The minister said that the provision of a seamless transportation system for Nigerians was long overdue, adding that the forum would help to achieve consensus in key areas towards the development of the road transport subsector.
He said that the road sector was a constitutional responsibility of states, adding that the forum was a veritable institution for peer-review, as well as platform for sharing aspirations for the transport sector.
“For us, in the Ministry, it offers a good avenue for exchanging the mandate mission, vision, and focus of the Federal Government, in the ongoing reforms in the rail, maritime, aviation, mass transit and road operations administration sub-sector of transportation,” he said.
