The Plateau State Government has terminated the employment of a commercial driver found to be under the influence of drugs while conveying passengers from Jos to Abuja.
According to The PUNCH, the state Commissioner for Transport, Gyang Davou, confirmed the development on Saturday during an induction for new Special Corp marshals of the Federal Road Safety Corps in the state held at the state FRSC Sector Command headquarters in Jos.
Davou said, “Just recently, we received distress calls around Riyom concerning the Siena shuttle buses that were purchased by this administration to ply the Jos to Abuja route and ease the transport problems being faced by our people; that the driver of one of the buses conveying passengers was under the influence of drugs and at the same time driving.
“You could imagine the number of lives he was playing with. So, we immediately despatched another vehicle there and recalled the said driver back. Thereafter, we set up an ad-hoc committee to look into the issue, which led to his sacking.”
The commissioner, who condemned the action of the driver, further disclosed that the state government had embarked on new projects to further reposition the transport sector.
According to him, apart from introducing a new innovative transport management system that will make Vehicle Inspection Officers in the state not be on the road in their bid to apprehend expired vehicle licence holders and other traffic offenders, the government had equally concluded plans to introduce locomotive train transport services for the people.
He said the train system would be unveiled for operation in Jos next week.
“The new transport management system we have started in Plateau will also address security challenges, including the issue of car theft. It is a public-private project to secure the lives and properties of our people. Already, we have mounted surveillance cameras in some places in Jos, including Hill Station Roundabouts and around Plateau Hospital Roundabouts.
“It is a pilot project that will be replicated in 13 more locations including the entry and exit points of Plateau so that we can have a good monitoring and database of every vehicle that goes in or out of Plateau state,” the Commissioner said.
