HUNDREDS of commercial drivers have turned the Lagos State Drivers Institute, LASDRI, Oshodi, into some sort of home, in their bid to get accredited for the re-training and re-certification by the institute.
Sources said the drivers throng the retraining institute at 11:00pm where they allegedly pass the night inside
their vehicles. While those who cannot arrive at such times, storm the centre as early as 2:00 am the next day to be among the 75 persons that to be accredited for the two days retraining course.
Retraining course
It was also learnt that compilation of the list for the day commenced at about 1:00 am and before dawn, the number required for that day training would have been reached. However, others whose names appear after the number required for the day, can only be accredited if some of those between the 75 number mark were absent at the commencement of the training at 9:00 am.
It would be recalled that Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State signed into law the new traffic law for the state on August 2. The law, among other provisions, makes it mandatory for all professional drivers operating within the state to pass through LASDRI for re-certification and retraining once every year. When Vanguard visited the centre, both drivers whose re-training certificate had expired and those who have not been retrained at all were expected to undergo similar training.
One of the commercial drivers identified as Baba Kafayat, a cab driver told Vanguard that commercial drivers coming for the training had no option than to either stay-back at their garage after the day’s work and leave for the institute as early as possible, “or park their vehicles anywhere closer to this place to wait until about 1:00 am when the list of those who will be accredited for that day training will be compiled.”
Driver’s bitter experience
Narrating his ordeal, Baba Kafayat who spoke in Yoruba muttered “Last week Monday I heard on radio an advert sponsored by the state government. After making enquiries from my colleagues I discovered that the new traffic law states that I will have to be re-trained by the driving institute before I will become eligible to drive on Lagos roads.
“Immediately I heard this, I drove to this Oshodi centre for the exercise. When I got here, I was told that I will have to pay N1, 000 to a particular bank at Opebi, Ikeja, and after such payment, I would bring the teller to the institute before I would be registered for the training.
“On Tuesday at about 7:00am when I got to this place with my teller to commence the training as advertised, I was surprised with what I saw here. I was informed that only 75 person are trained daily. And the numbers required for that day training had been compiled. I then left with the intention of coming earlier the next day.
“When I got here the next day, Wednesday, at about 6:00am, I was amazed when I was also informed that the number required for the day had been achieved and that putting down my name was a mere formality. During my interaction with those who were already trained, I discovered the strategies they had to adopt before they could get trained.
Sleeping inside car
“At the close of work on Wednesday, I did not go home instead I slept inside my car at the garage. By 3:00 am when I got here, I was shocked with the number of people I met at the entrance. When I was given the list to register my name, I was number 64. And after completing the lecture on Thursday, we were asked to come on Friday, for the eye test and Biometric data capturing exercise.”
It would be recalled that the state government established five LASDRI centres in line with the five districts of the state tagged IBILE: Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Epe. On why the choice of Oshodi centre by most drivers it was discovered that the facilities at the four other centres were not as effective as those at the Oshodi centre which is the headquarters. It was also learnt that from the advertisement by the state government, none of the four other centres were mentioned.
-Vanguard
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