Lagos State Task Force on Environment said it had arrested 10 motorists for allegedly driving against traffic and would prosecute them.
Chairman of the Task Force, Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Chief Superintendent of Police, stated this in a statement on Sunday in Lagos, by Adebayo Taofiq, the agency’s Head of Public Affairs.
The arrest of the motorists was in compliance with the directive of Governor Babatunde Sanwo-Olu that his administration had zero tolerance for traffic offences and would deal decisively with traffic offenders.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the governor had immediately after his inauguration on Wednesday, declared zero tolerance for traffic congestion and pot-holes on Lagos roads, and ordered immediate repairs of bad roads.
He also ordered the Lagos State Transport Management Agency to start a 12-hour traffic control with a view to freeing traffic flow in all parts of the state.
Egbeyemi said that the suspected traffic offenders were held on Saturday, and that the agency had concluded arrangement to prosecute them.
He disclosed that he led the operation leading to the arrest of the suspects, who he stated, were held around Dopemu, Iyana-Ipaja, Agege and Mile 2 areas of the state.
He said that the offence contravened Scheduled (1), item 27 of Lagos State Road Traffic Law of 2012.
The chairman expressed disappointment and worries over the number of commercial bus drivers and private car owners driving against traffic in the state.
He wondered why with the level of enlightenment campaigns by the government, motorists still drove against traffic “without fear of crushing innocent passers-by or imminent collusion with on-coming vehicles”.
He said: “The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, has directed that the enforcement operations on motorists driving against traffic by the Agency be extended to every part of the state.”
Egbeyemi urged motorists, particularly commercial bus drivers, to desist from driving against traffic and obey traffic signs conspicuously displayed in all parts of the state.
He announced that the state government had issued a notice of ‘Removal Order’ to all owners/occupiers of illegal shanties, kiosks and containerised shops along Okokomaiko-Badagry and Iba-LASU road.
He said that the order was with immediate effect, explaining that it became necessary due to preparation for commencement of rehabilitation of the roads.
Egbeyemi said the governor was touched by the discomfort experienced daily as a result of bad roads and had vowed to ameliorate the sufferings of commuters on Okokomaiko-Badagry Expressway by rehabilitating the road.
He announced that a general clean-up of all illegal structures and containarised shops in the area would commence soon.