The Abia State Government has urged members of the Abia State Tricycle Operators Union (ASTOPU), Aba Zone, to serve as ambassadors of road safety by obeying traffic regulations and embracing responsible driving practices.

The Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Chimezie Ukaegbu, made the call on Monday during a one-day safety seminar organised for tricycle operators in Aba to promote safety and security on the state's roads.

Represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Transport, Associate Prof. Obioma Reuben Nwogbe, the commissioner encouraged participants to see the seminar as an opportunity to gain life-saving knowledge and improve their professional skills rather than treating it as a routine exercise.

He said the state government expects tricycle operators to play a more active role in promoting safe transportation across Abia, while reaffirming the commitment of Governor Alex Otti's administration to building a modern, orderly, safe and efficient transport system.

According to Ukaegbu, achieving that vision requires the collective efforts of transport operators, unions, regulatory agencies and other stakeholders. He expressed confidence that such collaboration would help reduce road accidents, boost public confidence in the transport sector and support the vision of the New Abia.

“With this training and seminar, he (the ASTOPU chairman) is going to take the tricycle operators to the next level in terms of safety, security and operations because the training is going to cover defensive driving, safe driving, security awareness, tricycle maintenance, financial management and other areas,” Ukaegbu said.

The Divisional Police Officer of Abayi Division, Aba, CSP Okereke Amos, described the initiative as timely and commended the organisers for the programme. He stressed the need for the training to be sustained and encouraged tricycle operators to learn how to provide useful information to security agencies to help address security challenges across the state.

“It’s a nice programme. I wish the programme would continue to educate them on their safety and how to relay information to the security agencies in order to tackle security challenges in the state,” Amos said.

Also speaking, the Assistant Commander of Narcotics in charge of Prevention, Sensitisation and Training at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Frank Nwaohamuo, who represented the State Commander, urged tricycle operators to stay away from drug abuse, noting that a drug-free lifestyle would help reduce road crashes.

The Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Aba, Uduma Uduma, said the seminar was designed to promote a safer road environment. He advised the operators to maintain their tricycles properly and strictly comply with traffic rules and regulations.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Abia State Tricycle Operators Union (ASTOPU), Comrade Victor Azubuike, explained that the seminar was organised to equip operators with the knowledge and skills required to ensure safety and security while carrying out their daily activities.

Some participants, including Unit Chairman Mr. Chinagorom Azu and the Chairman of High Life Cemetery Unit, Pastor Victor Mbah, described the training as highly beneficial. They said it improved their understanding of safe driving, passenger safety, drug abuse prevention, health insurance and overall road security.

They also commended Governor Alex Otti for ongoing road improvement projects across the state and applauded the leadership of ASTOPU, Aba Zone, for organising the seminar.