The Osun State government has said it’s partnering with some transportation stakeholders to organise a driving theory test to reduce quack and unfit drivers on the highways.

Senior Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Transportation, Salaam Adewale, disclosed this in an interview with journalists during the commencement of the exercise in Osogbo on Wednesday.

The event had as its theme “Ensuring due process in driver’s licence processing.”

The test is a system that ensures that prospective applicants for driving licences, after training under a certified driving school, would be made to undergo tests.

The test also includes driving in the presence of Vehicle Inspection Officers before being allowed to be captured for the licence.

Mr Adewale said that the reason for the partnership with other transport stakeholders, especially on the test, was to have drivers who were fit and qualified to drive on Osun roads.

He said that the partnership would go a long way in ridding the state roads of quacks and unfit drivers, endangering the lives of passengers.

“The Driver’s Theory Test is one of the core mandates Governor Adeleke gave to the Ministry of Transportation on assumption of office. Gone are the days when you could sit in your house and get a driving licence, not minding if you can drive a vehicle or not,” he said.

Mr Adewale said that the state government was working hard to ensure zero tolerance for accidents in the state.

Earlier, the Federal Road Safety Corps Sector Commander in Osun, Inyang Umoh, commended the state government for collaborating with transport stakeholders.

He said that the test would rid the state roads from unqualified drivers.

Mr Umoh urged drivers to adhere to the initiative, saying it would help in keeping their lives and those of their passengers safe.

He said, “DTT is already operating in some states, especially in the South-West. It is a good initiative and will help checkmate drivers on highways.

In their separate remarks, the director, Vehicle Inspection Services, Waheed Lawal, and the coordinator, Special Marshals, Gbenga Aluko, said other states in the South-West had keyed into the initiative to reduce the high rate of quack drivers and accidents.

They said that such collaboration would be of greater benefit, not just for driving schools and heads of driving licence centres, but to drivers and passengers on the highways, to help reduce accidents. 

(NAN)