By Mohammed Adekola
Over 75 illegally parked trucks along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, inward port access road have been impounded by the Lagos State Government enforcement team, led by the Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA on Tuesday.
The enforcement team was led by LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, Director Operations, Mr Peter Gbejemede, and Deputy Director Public Affairs, Mr Taofeek Adebayo, officials of Nigeria Port Authority, NPA, along with armed security personnel.
They acted on the vacation order of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to restore sanity in the area
Governor Sanwo-Olu had ordered the vacation of indiscriminately parked tankers, and articulated vehicle drivers along highways and bridges in the state.
Tanker and articulated vehicle drivers cause heavy gridlock on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway leading to untold pains to motorists and residents.
The latest operation on Tuesday lasted for several hours.
Bakare-Oki, while commenting on the exercise, said it would be sustained to restore sanity in the area, “The operation and monitoring of the axis will be continuous and strictly enforced.
“We will continue to ensure free flow of traffic by scaling up our enforcement and clampdown on these recalcitrant truck drivers,” he stated.
Oki-Bakare, added that the exercise was based on the directive of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr. Sola Giwa.
The General Manager, however, disclosed that owners /drivers of the impounded contravened vehicles would be prosecuted at the Lagos State Mobile Court for contravening the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018.
Also, LASTMA had earlier warned mass transit bus drivers/owners against contravening traffic laws.
Bakare-Oki stated that the agency would not compromise any form of illegality by bus or private car drivers parking indiscriminately on roadside, Kerbs, Walkways, setbacks, thereby obstructing the free movement of vehicles including other road users.
“I want to state categorically that you should ensure that your members are trained and re-trained so as not to contravene traffic regulations.
“The newly introduced Traffic Management Solutions (TMS) cameras would bring sanity, transparency, orderliness, civility and voluntary compliance on traffic management and control on our roads across Lagos.”
The contravened vehicles were impounded in areas such as: Creek Road, First/ Second Gate, Coconut, West Minister, Berger Yard, down to Mile- 2.
