The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has allayed fears of motorists over the enforcement of traffic law in the state.
The agency assured members of the public, especially motorists not to be apprehensive over the fines being circulated on social media platforms as it was not a punitive measure, but part of the law and measures that had been put in place to restore sanity to roads in the State.
Mr. Olawale Musa, LASTMA General Manager, in a statement on Thursday, said the 2018 traffic law was an improvement of the 2012 law with objectives of addressing the void and inadequacies noticed, with a view to improving traffic control and management, safeguarding motorists’ rights, improving road safety, eliminate impunity and disorderliness on roads, and end traffic officers’ overzealousness and arbitrariness on duty.
He stated that the process of implementing traffic law in the state had been democratised to ensure that cases of traffic infractions were proven, determined and punished accordingly by law court.
This, he said, would allow for fair hearing and transparency in the implementation of the law, adding that the process had also put the burden of proof on traffic officials, who would be more professional, civil and polite to motorists and members of the public, but firm against violators of the law to check cases of impunity on the road.
Musa stated that the existing law was not new to the public, but only being more emphasised, even as he frowned at a situation where motorists would embark on flagrant disobedience of traffic law, driving against on coming vehicles, parking of vehicles and picking of passengers at undesignated places.
On the issue of forfeiture of vehicles for driving against the flow of traffic, Musa said this should not be misconstrued with the ‘one-way’ offence as LASTMA had not apprehended any vehicle for ‘one-way’ offences this year.
He stressed that while the agency had adopted the approach of being civil and humane in its dealings with the public, this was being played upon with observable civil disobedience on the roads prompting the need for sterner measures.
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“Regardless of any circumstances, officials of LASTMA will remain civil, but firm on the side of the law in the discharge of their duties,” he assured.
Musa said the surest route to eliminating road disorderliness, chaos and impunity on our roads was through obedience of law, even as he advised the citizens to drive on the roads without fear of harassment by LASTMA officials.
He enjoined members of the public to report cases of harassment and extortion to the agency for investigation and appropriate action, cooperate with traffic officials and obey traffic law.
According to him, motorists were advised to avail themselves of the 2018 traffic law on the agency`s media platforms, even as he informed that complaints could be lodged through the listed numbers.
The numbers, according to him, included, Facebook: Lagos State Traffic Management Authority; Twitter: @ followlastma; Instagram: eko_ lastma;
Complaint numbers: 08129928515, 08129928469, 08129928490, 08129928550. He urged the public to visit or write to: Complaints Unit, Office of the General Manager, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Old LSTC Building, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Ilupeju, Lagos.
He said that for other public complaints, the media contact is: Mamud Hassan, Head, Public Affairs, LASTMA.
