The governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, Tuesday, commissioned the Enugu State Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre to help ensure the road worthiness of vehicles plying the state’s roads, urging motorists to make use of the Centre to ensure safety.
Mbah said the Centre was equipped with cutting-edge technologies designed to provide comprehensive and accurate inspections of vehicles, leveraging advanced diagnostic tools and automated processes to ensure that every vehicle on our roads meets the highest standards of safety and environment compliance.
Mbah, who was represented by the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Obi Ozor, noted that besides reducing road accidents caused by faulty vehicles, the Centre would help reduce harmful emissions and contribute to a healthier environment.
"The benefits of this Centre to Enugu motorists are numerous. It offers a streamlined and transparent inspection process, reducing wait times and enhancing convenience.
“For our regulatory bodies, it provides reliable data and insights that are crucial for policy-making and enforcement.
“And to our community at large, it heralds a safer, cleaner and more efficient transport system," he said.
In his message, the Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer, Engr. Valentine Chime, lauded the governor for this wonderful project, which he said would help to ensure that all vehicles in the state were properly inspected and certified before plying the roads.
According to him, private car owners are expected to present their vehicles for inspection once in a year with the certificate of road worthiness duly issued to them, while the commercial vehicles are to undergo inspection twice a year.
"People have been calling on why the state government is yet to come out with a vehicle inspection facility to ensure that motorists check their cars. Today, Enugu has its own facility and it's open for all. And we are going to establish one in each of the remaining two district to ensure proximity. In line with our laws, every motorist should ensure that his vehicle is certified road worthy before bringing it out to ply on our roads because the whole idea is to ensure safety of road users and to reduce the crash on our roads," Chime advised.
Delivering his goodwill message, the Sector Commander, Road Safety Corps, Enugu, Sokumbi Adeyemi, extoled the state government for coming out with the lofty idea, saying that the facility, when put in use, would reduce the number of mechanically deficient vehicles on our routes, which usually cause traffic crash on our roads.
"What we will do is to encourage everyone, individuals, fleet operators, transport owners, and transport union to make use of this facility so that it will reduce mechanical efficiency on the roads," the Commander said.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Association of Mass Transport Operators, Francis Edeh, who represented the union, described the facility as a great achievement by the government, maintaining that the road transport workers were going to make maximum use of the place to ensure the safety of their vehicles and their passengers.
Expressing his happiness, the Group Managing Director of Temple Group Limited, Segun Obayande, thanked governor Peter Mbah for giving them the opportunity to operate in the state, saying that their company was already in 28 states in Nigeria where they ensure that vehicles operating in a state were thoroughly inspected through the use of technological tools and other electronic devices.
According to him, his ambition to bring his company to Enugu for vehicular inspections started since 2013, but was hitting the rock until the present governor, Peter Mbah assumed office and gave them the opportunity to help the state in adding value to the society and ensure that all the vehicles plying in the state were fit for the roads.
Other dignitaries who attended the event were the Commissioner for Special Duties, Emeka Ajogwu; Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Malachy Agbo; Garrison Commander, 82 Division, Brig. Gen. M. M Abu represented by O. A Teslim; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Ikechukwu Nnamoko; and the Special Assistant to the Governor on Transport, Iphie Ugonabor, among others.
