Ondo restricts truck loading, bans roadside parking on Arakale axis

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Ondo State Government has introduced new traffic restrictions along the Arakale axis of Akure, banning roadside parking and limiting the hours during which trucks can load and offload goods.

The measures are aimed at easing congestion along the busy commercial corridor, where parked vehicles and commercial trucks have been identified as major obstructions to the free movement of traffic.

The restrictions were announced on Monday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transport, Olumuyiwa Ogunyemi Èyíyàtò, during a meeting with members of the Business and Shop Owners Association in the area.

Under the new arrangement, trucks will only be permitted to load or offload goods between 6 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., and from 5 p.m. until dawn. Motorists, meanwhile, have been directed to stop using both sides of the major road as parking spaces.

Ogunyemi also directed businesses that require loading or offloading activities to notify the Ministry of Transportation in advance. He said traffic wardens would be assigned to such locations to regulate the movement of vehicles and minimise disruption during the operations.

He further stated that the restrictions were necessary to prevent commercial activities from obstructing traffic along the corridor. According to him, trucks would also not be permitted to remain on the major road overnight after completing their loading or offloading activities.

The transport adviser urged motorists, traders and visitors to make use of designated parking areas, inner roads and adjoining streets. He stressed that the success of the measures would depend on the cooperation of businesses, motorists and other road users.

The Chairman of the Business and Shop Owners Association, Chief Ezeorji T.C., welcomed the government’s intervention, describing the measures as timely and capable of improving traffic flow and easing congestion along the Arakale axis.