The Lagos government says it aims to reduce gridlock and enhance transportation options for residents.

Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, the secretary to the state government, said this during the public policy engagement session with ministries, departments, and agencies in traffic management and transportation, in Ikeja on Thursday.

The engagement was initiated by the Policy Analysis, Monitoring, and Evaluation Department of the Cabinet Office.

Ms Salu-Hundeyin said that the engagement aimed to critically analyse and evaluate the impacts/outcomes of government policies to ensure their objectives were achieved.

She stated that the meeting aims to refine government policies and programs using data-driven insights and recommendations.

The SSG stated that the report from the engagement would be compiled and forwarded to all MDAs for further review and policy adjustments aimed at improving the transportation experience for residents.

She added that her office was gathering and analysing data on smart transport systems, road incidents in the state, gridlock locations, and ways to mitigate such shortcomings.

Mr Salu-Hundeyin revealed that they were also analysing data on vehicles in the state and the number of passengers across different transport routes, including land, water, and rail. She assured that her office would process the recommendations from the engagement and implement necessary policy reviews and adjustments.

Oladele Oyatope, the head of the PAME Department, Cabinet Office, revealed that the unit was established in 2022 with the mandate to develop frameworks for analysing, monitoring, and evaluating government policies and decisions.

Mr Oyatope stated that the session was an internal review involving various MDAs to assess progress using performance indicators. He said that the engagement aligned with the ‘THEMESPlus Agenda’, a framework used by the Lagos state government to deliver services and foster development.

”The focus of the meeting is on Pillar One of the THEMESPlus Agenda, which deals with traffic management and transportation,” Mr Oyatope said.

He defined public policy as a course of action taken by governments to address public problems and achieve desired outputs, relying on laws, decisions, regulations, and funding priorities.

According to him, the role of government is to provide basic and essential services, fostering all-round development, securing democracy and rights, providing healthcare services, and ensuring qualitative education.

He explained that public policy seeks to fulfil government goals, enhance societal well-being, and facilitate the provision of goods and services, alongside economic and social development.

(NAN)