Delta State Governor, Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has inaugurated the Delta State Traffic Management Agency {DESTMA] with a charge to improve traffic compliance, ensure safe reliable and incident free transportation on Delta roads.

Speaking at the end of an eight-day Induction Course for pioneer DESTMA Staff Thursday in Asaba, Governor Okowa said that the setting up of the agency was meant to check bad road behaviour and enhance free flow of traffic, safety level and security on our roads.

“ I want to congratulate the management and staff of the Delta State Traffic Management Agency [DESTMA]  for the successful completion of this induction programme, it is a good starting point for a critical intervention agency that has the unenviable task of ensuring safe reliable and incident free transportation on our roads”, he said.

“All over the world, the growth of urbanisation has created overcrowded cities leading to increasing traffic congestion and other anti-social behaviour on the roads, most countries in the world have also put in place traffic management measures to improve compliance with traffic rules and regulations, ensure free flow of traffic and promote safe mobility. DESTMA has the goal of checking bad behaviour and enhancing the overall level of safety and security on our roads”, the governor added.

While noting that the induction programme was meant to prepare the staff for the tasks ahead, Senator Okowa informed them that “traffic management  entails traffic control, incident management, efficient control and management of heavy duty vehicles as well as driver support and monitoring including dissemination of safety related materials”.

He urged the staff to be firm, just, equitable and shun corruption in their dealings with the public while also paying close attention to public enlightenment stressing that money paid by traffic offenders must be remitted to state government coffers and properly accounted

Earlier, Mr. Vincent Uduaghan, Commissioner For Transport, in his address, said that the agency was set up to control and enforce traffic laws; deter and apprehend traffic offenders and enforce the use of strategic public transport infrastructure by operators while bring sanity to our driving culture and ensure free flow of traffic.

He stated that the operations of the agency would commence in three stations –Asaba , Warri/Effurun and Ughelli – while others stations would come up in due course.