The Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) warned on Friday that it will not hesitate to enforce and penalize anyone who violate state traffic rules.
This follows reports that the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had prohibited agency officers from detaining wayward motorists.
LASTMA’s General Manager, Mr Bolaji Oreagba, denied the assertion in a statement issued by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, claiming the governor never issued an order prohibiting its agents from detaining erring motorists.
Oreagba pointed out that the agency had already discredited what he called “fake online news” claiming that LASTMA agents were barred from detaining motorists who violated the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018.
The bogus report, he claims, is the work of anonymous miscreants and has been widely distributed online since February 2020, despite being repeatedly disputed by LASTMA administration.
“I wonder why some individuals choose to always mislead others to contravene the traffic law of the State as amended by the State House of Assembly in 2018,” Oreagba said.
The LASTMA chief also stated that one of the agency’s responsibilities is to uphold and enforce the State’s traffic rules.
He insisted that the officers and men of LASTMA would not hesitate to enforce those rules if they were broken in order to turn the state’s transportation system into one that ensures free flow of traffic and reduces road accidents.
“The motoring public is advised to ignore and disregard all fake news circulated by faceless individuals and designed to lead them into breaking the traffic law of the State,” he added.
Oreagba further stated that the authority’s working ethics, as well as all of its operations, are governed by legislation.
The LASTMA CEO also acknowledged that the agency is presently addressing traffic difficulties with modern technical advancements, such as providing workers with new hand-held Traffic Management Solution (TMS) devices.
According to him, the technology collects real-time traffic offenses on the road, as well as a signalized intersection and junction enhancement.
