Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Thursday allayed the fear of motorists over the enforcement of traffic law in the state, saying the surest route to eliminating road disorderliness, chaos and impunity on Lagos roads was through obedience of law, advising law abiding citizens to drive on roads without fear of harassment by LASTMA officials.
The agency assured members of the public, especially motorists not to be apprehensive over the fines being circulated on social media platforms as it was not a punitive measure but part of the law and measures that have been put in place to restore sanity to roads in the state.
LASTMA, in a statement its
General Manager, Olawale Musa, the 2018 traffic law was an improvement of the 2012 law with objectives of addressing the void and inadequacies noticed with a view to improving traffic control and management, safeguarding motorists’ rights, improving road safety, eliminate impunity and disorderliness on roads, and end traffic officers’ overzealousness and arbitrariness on duty.
The statement added that “the process of implementing traffic law in the state has been democratised in order to ensure that cases of traffic infractions are proven, determined and punished accordingly by law court.”
According to him, “This would allow for fair hearing and transparency in the implementation of the law. The process has also put burden of proof on traffic officials who are to be more professional, civil and polite to motorists and members of the public, but firm against violators of the law so as to check cases of impunity on the road.”
Musa stated that “the existing law was not new to the public, but only being more emphasised.”
He frowned at a situation where motorists embark on flagrant disobedience of traffic law, driving against on coming vehicles, parking of vehicles and picking of passengers at undesignated places.
On the issue of forfeiture of vehicles for driving against the flow of traffic, Musa said “this should not be misconstrued with the one-way offence as LASTMA has not apprehended any vehicle for one-way this year.
He noted that while the agency had adopted the approach of being civil and humane in its dealings with the public, this was being played upon with observable civil disobedience on the roads prompting the need for sterner measures.
“Regardless of any circumstances, officials of LASTMA would remain civil but firm on the side of the law in the discharge of their duties,” Musa said.
He, however, enjoined members of the public to report cases of harassment and extortion to the agency for investigation and appropriate action, cooperate with traffic officials and obey traffic law.
According to him, motorists are advised to avail themselves of the 2018 traffic law on the agency`s media platforms listed below.
Complaints can also be lodgedthrough:
Facebook: Lagos State Traffic Management Authority
Twitter: @followlastma
Instagram: eko_lastma
Complaint numbers:
08129928515, 08129928469, 08129928490, 08129928550.
You can also visit or write to:
Complaints Unit,
Office of the General Manager,
Lagos State Traffic Management Authority,
Old LSTC Building,
Apapa-Oshodi Expressway,
Ilupeju, Lagos.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Lagos State Task Force have arraigned 13 workers of Seven-Up Bottling Company for assault on LASTMA officials.
Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, Olayinka Egbeyemi, in a statement, said the enforcement team of the agency arrested the 13 workers after they assaulted LASTMA officials and injured three of them while trying to tow a truck (MUS 75 XX) belonging to the company parked illegally on the road and causing traffic gridlock at a former toll gate on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
“The prosecution of these 13 arrested workers became imperative in order to serve as deterrent to others who might want to attack law enforcement officers in the course of performing their official duties and enforcing the Executive Order recently signed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“It is disheartening that officers employed to safeguard members of the public are always being attacked by same people whose interest were being protected,” he lamented.
Recounting their ordeals, one of the injured officers, Kazim Abayomi, who was transferred to LASUTH for treatment said drivers and workers of the company often engaged LASTMA officers physically with different weapons while trying to enforce traffic laws on their trucks illegally parked along the roadside.
He added that two other officers Anozie Peter and Demeji Tonade were also injured during the incident.
Abayomi disclosed that the culprits were arraigned and charged for ‘Assault’ and ‘Conduct Likely to Cause Breach of Peace’ under ‘Part III, Item 26’ of the Lagos State Traffic Sector Law at the Mobile Court, while the Presiding Magistrate, Olajuwon Amos adjourned the commencement of trial to August 8, 2019 after they had all pleaded ‘Not Guilty.’
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