“Bring Back ENTRACO and Caution the Monitoring Team — Protect Imo Commuters From Transport-Related Excesses”
By Douglas Princemola
Concerned residents and stakeholders in Imo State have called on Governor Hope Uzodimma to consider reviving ENTRACO and strengthening the state’s transport regulatory framework to address growing concerns surrounding commercial transportation.
The appeal follows concerns over the alleged reckless conduct of some commercial bus drivers, as well as complaints about the activities of the state’s transport monitoring team.
According to the stakeholders, the government’s monitoring team should be properly cautioned, closely supervised and made to operate within clearly defined rules to prevent actions that could create unnecessary hardship for members of the public.
They alleged that the activities of some monitoring officials are increasingly becoming a source of concern for commuters and transport operators, calling on the government to investigate complaints and ensure that enforcement personnel conduct themselves professionally.
The stakeholders stressed that a monitoring team established to protect the public should not, through alleged excesses or improper enforcement, become a source of fear, disruption or hardship for the same people it is expected to serve.
They therefore urged Governor Uzodimma to take a close look at the operations of the monitoring team and introduce stronger oversight mechanisms, including clear identification of officials, proper documentation of enforcement activities and accessible channels for public complaints.
They also called for the revival or restructuring of ENTRACO as a dedicated transport regulatory body capable of coordinating driver compliance, vehicle inspections, road safety measures and enforcement.
According to them, bringing back a properly structured ENTRACO could help separate transport regulation from ad-hoc enforcement and provide a more coordinated system for managing commercial transportation.
The stakeholders further appealed to commercial bus drivers to exercise greater caution on the roads, obey traffic regulations and put the safety of passengers and other road users above every other consideration.
They emphasized that reckless driving must not be tolerated, but enforcement must equally be conducted responsibly and within the law.
“The government must protect the public from reckless driving, but it must also ensure that those enforcing the rules do not create another problem for the public,” the stakeholders said.
They maintained that the ultimate objective should be a transport system where drivers are disciplined, monitoring officers are accountable and passengers can travel without unnecessary fear or harassment.
The stakeholders therefore urged Governor Uzodimma to act on the concerns, review the current monitoring structure and consider whether the return or restructuring of ENTRACO could provide a more effective and transparent solution.
They said what Imo residents need is not more confusion on the roads, but a transport system built on safety, discipline, accountability and respect for the public.
