The Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) has an important responsibility in maintaining order and safety on the roads across the state. According to the Authority, its mandate includes controlling traffic, enforcing state and national traffic laws, reducing road traffic accidents, and developing alternative methods of traffic management and road safety.
The Authority also has a broader responsibility to safeguard motorists, pedestrians and other road users, particularly at highways, construction zones and other critical points.
Since its establishment, OYRTMA has played a visible role in traffic management across Ibadan and other parts of Oyo State. The recent restructuring and renewed interventions by the state government have also given the agency another opportunity to strengthen its operations and improve public confidence.
However, there are aspects of its mode of operation that continue to raise questions.
At times, one gets the impression that OYRTMA’s strongest presence is around functioning traffic lights. In locations where traffic lights are working, it is not uncommon to see several officers positioned around junctions, particularly during busy periods. Their presence is often felt most when a motorist violates a traffic rule.
Enforcement is certainly an important part of traffic management. But traffic management should go beyond waiting for violations to occur. It should also involve preventing congestion, directing traffic when necessary, educating road users and ensuring that intersections remain orderly, especially when existing traffic-control infrastructure fails.
This becomes particularly important when traffic lights stop functioning.
Across Ibadan, there are major junctions where the absence of functioning traffic lights can quickly create confusion, delays and unnecessary risks. One example is the Ojoo-Samonda corridor, where three major junctions experience significant traffic movement, especially during the morning rush when people are heading to work and in the evening when commuters are returning home.
When traffic lights fail at such locations, the expectation should be that traffic management officers become even more visible and proactive. Instead, there are occasions when residents and other road users have had to step in voluntarily to direct traffic and restore some level of order.
That raises a simple question: If traffic management officers are needed when the traffic lights are working, should they not be even more necessary when the lights stop working?
Adamasingba Junction presents another example. For weeks, motorists have had to navigate the junction without a functioning traffic light. Yet, in the absence of visible traffic management officers, citizens have often been left to manage the situation themselves.
Interestingly, when the traffic light eventually becomes operational, the presence of enforcement officers appears much more noticeable.
This pattern creates an unfortunate perception among some motorists: that traffic management is sometimes more focused on enforcement and penalties than on active traffic control and public service.
That perception may not necessarily represent the intention of the Authority, but it is one that OYRTMA should take seriously. The Authority itself says its mission is to create and sustain a safe, free-flowing and efficient traffic environment through contemporary traffic management systems and skilled personnel.
There is also a need to distinguish between enforcement and enlightenment. Not every traffic violation requires the same response. Where a motorist can simply be corrected or educated about a minor infraction, excessive enforcement can create resentment rather than improve road safety.
Interestingly, OYRTMA has previously introduced initiatives aimed at public enlightenment and even launched an online public complaint channel through which residents can report misconduct by its personnel and provide feedback on its operations.
These mechanisms are commendable, but their effectiveness will ultimately depend on how seriously complaints and public observations are treated.
The goal should not be to have officers stationed at junctions merely to apprehend offenders. The goal should be to have officers who are readily available to prevent gridlock, protect pedestrians, guide motorists, respond to malfunctioning traffic infrastructure and intervene before a difficult traffic situation becomes a crisis.
OYRTMA has a crucial role to play in making Ibadan and other parts of Oyo State safer and easier to navigate. Enforcement will always be necessary, but enforcement should be only one part of a much larger responsibility.
When traffic lights are working, OYRTMA should help ensure that motorists obey them. When they stop working, that should not mean the traffic managers stop working too.
Perhaps the real test of effective traffic management is not how many offenders are apprehended when the system is functioning, but how effectively the roads are managed when the system fails.
That is where OYRTMA can demonstrate that it is not merely enforcing traffic rules, but truly managing traffic.
Olansile Olanrewaju (Advantage).
