By Oyo Amebo
Progress in governance doesn’t always roar, sometimes it hums quietly through systems that finally begin to work. That hum can now be heard across Oyo State’s Pacesetter Transport Service (PTS), where Dr. Ibraheem Salami Dikko has replaced inefficiency with innovation.
When he took office, the agency was floundering, debt-ridden, poorly managed, and haemorrhaging revenue through manual operations. Rather than rushing for publicity-driven purchases, Dikko began with what many overlook: systems.
He replaced cash-based transactions with a fully digitised electronic payment platform, ensuring every fare and route could be monitored in real time.
“Manual processes breed inefficiency; automation breeds discipline,” he told his team, a mantra that became the backbone of PTS’s transformation.
The introduction of e-ticketing, GPS tracking, and CCTV oversight created transparency at every level. Drivers, conductors, and passengers now operate within a system where every action leaves a digital footprint.
Passengers have gained convenience, no more frantic searches for change or unreliable schedules. Staff morale has risen, with prompt salaries and clear performance metrics restoring pride in their work.
But Dikko’s reforms were never just technical; they were cultural. He knew that digital tools were only as strong as the integrity behind them.
Under his watch, PTS introduced the state’s first Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) refuelling station in Ibadan, marking a decisive shift toward cleaner, more affordable mobility.
The fleet’s CNG-powered buses glide through the city with efficiency that matches their environmental benefit. Through the government’s SAfER initiative, fare subsidies ensure that this progress reaches everyone, from pensioners to students.
Internally, the agency’s books now tell a story of order: debts cleared, leakages plugged, finances stabilised.
The PTS that once drained public funds now operates like a disciplined public enterprise. And perhaps most importantly, public trust long eroded, is quietly returning.
Today, Oyo’s transport system stands as a case study in reform. Dikko has shown that accountability and technology, when married with vision, can turn dysfunction into dependability. The buses may run on gas, but it is transparency that truly fuels this renaissance.
