Dare Babalola
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has impounded 27 commercial and private vehicles across Lagos for violating loading regulations and road safety standards.
The agency made this known in a statement on Thursday issued by the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, and posted on its official X handle.
The vehicles were impounded during an early-morning enforcement operation, following repeated warnings and public awareness campaigns by LASTMA.
According to LASTMA, “the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has commenced a far-reaching statewide enforcement initiative aimed at curbing the pervasive and hazardous practice of vehicular overloading, as part of its sustained commitment to enhancing road safety and enforcing uncompromising compliance with extant traffic regulations across Lagos State.”
The vehicles were seized in an early-morning operation after repeated warnings and sensitisation efforts by the agency.
LASTMA stated that “during an early-morning, coordinated enforcement exercise conducted after repeated warnings issued through multiple public sensitisation platforms, the Agency impounded twenty-seven commercial and private vehicles found to be in flagrant breach of prescribed loading limits and established safety standards.”
The operation was carried out on the orders of LASTMA’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, due to concerns over risks posed by overloaded vehicles.
It explained that “the operation was executed in strict accordance with the directive of the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, following heightened concerns over the escalating risks posed by overloaded vehicles on major arterial corridors and densely trafficked inner-city routes.”
LASTMA further revealed that field assessments uncovered widespread unsafe practices by motorists, especially commercial vehicle operators.
According to the agency, “LASTMA enforcement officers’ field assessment exposed a deeply disconcerting pattern wherein motorists, particularly operators of commercial vehicles, indiscriminately burden their vehicles with assorted goods, including bulky items and perishable commodities, stored indiscriminately within luggage compartments and precariously mounted atop vehicle roofs.”
It warned that such practices obstruct visibility, destabilise vehicles, and significantly increase the risk of road crashes.
The statement said the General Manager of LASTMA described vehicular overloading as a serious violation of traffic laws, noting that it poses dangers to both offenders and other road users.
Describing the situation as “an unsightly and perilous spectacle,” Bakare-Oki condemned the overloading of commercial buses, private cars and articulated vehicles with goods and scrap metals, stressing that enforcement would remain firm.
He reaffirmed that “the Agency’s zero-tolerance stance against all traffic infractions that imperil lives and property” remains unchanged, warning that enforcement actions would be sustained and intensified.
LASTMA urged motorists to comply strictly with approved loading capacities and prioritise safety, stating that the agency remains committed to enforcing traffic laws professionally and without prejudice.
“Members of the general public, particularly motorists, are hereby urged to promptly report any commercial or private vehicles found to be in violation of prescribed loading limits via the LASTMA Toll-Free Hotline: 0800-005-27862 to enable swift enforcement and immediate corrective action,” it added.
