84 Vehicles Impounded by LASTMA in Lagos Enforcement Drive, Personnel Attacked

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has significantly ramped up its enforcement efforts across key traffic hotspots within the state, leading to the seizure of 84 commercial and private vehicles due to various traffic violations. Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the General Manager of LASTMA, confirmed this development in a statement released on Sunday in Lagos.

Bakare-Oki stated that the intensified operation covered areas such as Idumota, Iddo, Ijora-Olopa, Costain, and Onipanu. He clarified that the primary objective of this enforcement drive was to re-establish order, ensure compliance with existing traffic regulations, and improve road safety. This focus is particularly crucial in corridors where persistent disregard for rules by stubborn motorists and commercial bus operators has consistently jeopardized road safety and obstructed traffic flow.

Of particular concern to the agency is the dangerous trend of commercial buses driving against traffic, especially along the one-way route from Iddo back to Idumota via Carter Bridge. Bakare-Oki condemned this maneuver as irresponsible, highlighting its potential to catch unsuspecting drivers, passengers, and pedestrians off guard. He warned that such actions could lead to extremely hazardous situations, potentially resulting in severe collisions, injuries, and even fatalities.

Despite the agency's efforts, the enforcement operations were met with significant opposition. LASTMA personnel faced physical assaults and sustained injuries while performing their official duties. Furthermore, some of the individuals involved in the attacks, described as miscreants and hoodlums, were apprehended after damaging the agency's operational vehicles.

The LASTMA boss reiterated the agency's repeated warnings to transport operators, commercial bus drivers, and other road users against using spaces under bridges, road setbacks, and other unauthorized areas as illegal garages. He emphasized that these practices not only hinder effective traffic management but also pose considerable risks to public safety.

Bakare-Oki underscored that the ongoing enforcement campaign is designed to ensure adherence to traffic laws, deter dangerous driving habits, and ultimately protect the lives and property of all road users, including motorists, commuters, and pedestrians. He urged commercial bus operators, private motorists, transport unions, and other stakeholders to cease engaging in one-way driving, risky reversing, illegal parking, indiscriminate loading, and the use of unauthorized garages or under-bridge locations. He issued a stern warning that any further infractions would be met with stringent enforcement measures, strictly in line with extant Lagos State traffic laws.