The Lagos State PDP Governorship Candidate, Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran (aka Jandor) on Thursday urged the state government to provide barriers at railway level crossings.
Adediran made the call when he led his team on a visit to scene of an accident involving a passenger train and a Lagos State Government Staff Bus at the PWD level crossing.
Describing the incident “as sad and unbecoming in a cosmopolitan state like Lagos”, Adediran said that safety and security of lives and property remained the primary function of any government.
“The incident is so sad. I think it’s about time we begin to have barriers that will stop vehicles when trains are coming.
“This is a kind of responsibility for the government. We cannot continue like this, there should be a barrier on the rail line, when trains are coming.
“I’m sure we are going to get it right, I will be going to the hospital to see the victims so that we know how to provide succor for them.
“This is getting too much, we saw the fire incident that occurred in a market in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government on Wednesday and I will be going there too to see the level of damage.
“We will get it right as a government. We should prevent vehicles from passing when trains are coming,” the PDP candidate said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accident, which occurred on Thursday morning at the railway level crossing at PWD, saw the train colluding with the staff bus conveying Lagos state workers.
The train dragged the bus from the PWD bus stop to Shogunle bus stop, beside the pedestrian bridge before it stopped.
Two bodies had so far been recovered from the scene, while others were injured including school children, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.
Meanwhile, the PDP candidate also went to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja, to see the victims but was unable to gain access to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) of the hospital where they were receiving medical care. (NAN)
