Dare Babalola
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has intensified its enforcement drive against unauthorized garages and roadside parks, impounding 155 vehicles, including tricycles and heavily loaded trucks, on Lagos Island.
This was confirmed in a statement signed by Adebayo Taofiq, the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of the LASTMA on Tuesday.
Taofiq said the operation, supervised by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, aims to restore metropolitan order and guarantee the unobstructed flow of vehicular traffic across the city.
The comprehensive operation targeted unlawful garages, makeshift shanties, and informal trading clusters that have degenerated into epicentres of gridlock, environmental degradation, and insecurity.
Hon. Giwa affirmed that the impoundment exercise aligns with LASTMA’s 24-hour traffic management and control mandate and represents a vital component of the Lagos State Government’s policy framework to enhance mobility, promote compliance, and ensure total traffic sanity before, during, and after the impending festive season.
He reaffirmed the unwavering resolve of the administration of Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, to uphold discipline, law, and order across all transportation corridors through the strict enforcement of traffic regulations and an uncompromising zero-tolerance stance against all infractions.
“Illegal garages, unregulated markets, and roadside shanties have persistently undermined our collective aspiration for a smooth and orderly traffic system in Lagos. These impoundments, therefore, send a strong and unequivocal signal that the State Government will no longer condone any unlawful activity capable of disrupting public order or endangering the safety of lives and property,” Giwa declared.
He further reiterated that the cardinal objective of the enforcement campaign is to cultivate a safe, habitable, and aesthetically ordered urban environment for both motorists and pedestrians, while restoring discipline and civility to critical traffic corridors across the metropolis.
The enforcement operation covered major flashpoints, including Ebute-Ero, Oke-Arin Market, Odofin Street, Elegbata, and Marina (Oando Under Bridge)—locations historically identified as chronic choke points caused by unauthorized parking, indiscriminate trading, and the proliferation of makeshift garages.
Authorities observed that these illicit activities not only obstruct free vehicular movement but also constitute grave safety hazards to pedestrians and legitimate business operators within the vicinity.
Residents and business owners in the affected corridors have lauded the Lagos State Government’s decisive intervention, describing it as a timely and necessary step toward reclaiming the city’s aesthetics, restoring order, and ensuring the safety of all road users.
Giwa assured that the ongoing exercise would be sustained, uncompromising, and progressively extended to other parts of the State where similar illegalities persist. He urged motorists, traders, and transport operators to adhere strictly to all traffic and environmental regulations, stressing that voluntary compliance remains the most effective pathway to achieving a functional and orderly transport system.
He also enjoined all motorists to assume civic responsibility for the upkeep of public roads by promptly reporting any broken-down or abandoned vehicles, trailers, or trucks to LASTMA via the Agency’s toll-free emergency hotlines: 0810000527862.
“The ultimate vision of the Lagos State Government is to bequeath to its residents a safer, cleaner, and more livable city. Adherence to traffic regulations is not merely a legal necessity but a shared civic responsibility, pivotal to the collective realization of this aspiration,” Giwa concluded.
