LASTMA impounds commercial buses for operating in illegal parks, roundabouts

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) says it has seized 20 vehicles operating in illegal garages and parks in Apongbon bridge and Ikorodu roundabouts in the state. 

In a statement on Sunday, Adebayo Taofiq, director of the public affairs unit, LASTMA, said the move will ensure the free flow of traffic.

Bolaji Oreagba, general manager of LASTMA, said the enforcement exercise was necessitated by the illegal activities of owners of commercial vehicles on bridges and roundabouts.

He said these activities contravene the 2018 Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law.

He said the agency’s enforcement unit was left with no choice after several warnings to the “recalcitrant drivers”.

He said it was “nauseating seeing these commercial bus drivers constituting public nuisances by operating illegally on Bridges and Roundabouts” causing avoidable traffic gridlock and inconveniencing other road users.

He added that the present administration is investing huge resources in constructing standard bus terminals in every part of the state and LASTMA would not rest on its oars on curbing illegal activities of the “unruly” commercial vehicles.

“We would continue to ensure free flow of traffic movement around bridges and roundabouts across the State by scaling up our enforcement and clampdown operations on these stubborn commercial buses operating illegal parks, garages and car mart in the State,” Oreagba was quoted as saying.

Odunuga Olukayode, head of the enforcement unit of LASTMA, said the agency is committed to continuing to clamp down on the activities of disobedient commercial vehicle operators until zero tolerance on illegal garages and parks is achieved across the state.

He also mentioned that the arrested drivers of the 20 impounded commercial buses have been fined N100,000 each.