Written by Olasunkanmi Akoni
No less than 27 commercial buses, also referred to as Danfo, and a few private automobiles have been seized by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) for breaking traffic laws and safety regulations around the state.
This was revealed by Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, General Manager of LASTMA, during a nationwide enforcement operation aimed at reducing vehicle overloading and enhancing road safety.
He claims that the early-morning action came after numerous public alerts and initiatives to raise awareness. It was discovered that the impacted trucks were clearly in violation of various safety requirements as well as the permissible payload limitations.
Growing worries about the risks posed by overloaded cars on key highways and heavily traveled inner-city routes, according to Bakare-Oki, were the driving force behind the exercise.
He stated, “Field assessments by LASTMA enforcement officers revealed a disturbing pattern in which motorists—particularly commercial drivers—recklessly overload their vehicles with a variety of goods, including bulky items and perishables, stored indiscriminately in luggage compartments and precariously mounted on vehicle roofs.”
He pointed out that these actions increase the likelihood of preventable traffic accidents by obstructing rear view, destabilizing cars, and seriously impairing drivers’ situational awareness, particularly during overtaking.
Bakare-Oki described automobile overloading as a major infraction of Lagos State traffic legislation and cautioned that it puts other road users and the occupants of the offending cars in great danger.
In flagrant disregard for public safety, he denounced what he called a “unsightly and perilous spectacle” of articulated trucks, private automobiles, and commercial buses loaded with cargo and scrap metal.
Bakare-Oki reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance attitude for traffic violations and promised to continue to police the law against violators in a persistent, stepped-up, and unyielding manner.
He advised drivers to prioritize their vehicle’s roadworthiness, maintain constant, unhindered visibility, and adhere closely to the loading capacities specified.
In keeping with the Lagos State Government’s commitment to a safe, orderly, and effective transportation system, the agency is steadfast in carrying out its statutory responsibility to enforce traffic regulations in a professional, equitable, and impartial manner,” he stated.
In order to facilitate prompt enforcement and remedial action, Bakare-Oki also urged the public to report any trucks that violate loading limits using LASTMA’s toll-free hotline, 0800-005-27862.
