..:: AUTO REPORT AFRICA ::..
Related Articles
Lagos State Government said on Friday that it is set to enforce the state traffic law in order to ease the state of traffic gridlock and criminal activities on the roads in the state.
The state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, disclosed this at a media briefing on the security and traffic situation in the state, shortly after a Security Council meeting at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja.
Ambode, who gave a 90-day grace period to all tank farms to build holding bays so as to ameliorate the sufferings motorists face in Apapa area of the state, said: “Any tank farm that fails to provide a holding bay after this grace period will be shut down by the state government.”
Accusing the tank farms and the petrol tankers of significantly contributing to traffic in the area, the governor warned motorcycles and tricycles operators against plying the expressways as stipulated in the state traffic law.
Lamenting that traffic crimes and robbery were easily traced to the menace of commercial motorcycle riders and street hawkers, Ambode said: “As we proceed to implement our plans to actualise other modes of transportation, commercial motorcycles remain a stop-gap remedy.”
Ambode said that henceforth, all commercial vehicles, except Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) buses, must use only the service lanes in accordance with existing traffic laws.
“All conductors of commercial buses must sit down in their buses and keep the doors closed at all times while in motion.
“It is against the law for conductors to hang on the bus doors and leave the doors open.
“Any bus contravention will be met with severe punitive measures,” he said.
The governor said commercial buses could only drop and pick passengers at officially designated bus stops henceforth.
“Any illegal and indiscriminate picking and dropping of passengers is against the law.
“Other road users who break traffic laws will pay a compulsory traffic fine in accordance with the law.
“Mobile traffic courts are being introduced to prosecute offenders promptly.
“In addition to motorcycles being used for crime, commercial buses are a menace on our roads. They have become very lawless and reckless.
“Many road users, especially those who should know better, seem to have also joined them in breaking traffic laws,” he said.
He implored motorists to desist from patronising hawkers in the traffic.
“The next hawker could be a robber or terrorist. You are now well advised. If we all cooperate and decide not to buy, gradually and collectively, the hawkers will not come to the highways and streets any more. Our roads will definitely become safer,” he said.
