Illegal parking of impounded trucks persists at Lagos B/Stop

ILLEGAL parking of articulated vehicles impounded by the police has persisted at the Iponri Bus Stop on the Lagos Mainland, despite the outcry of motorists, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

On Aug. 28, NAN reported that traffic enforcement agencies, including the police, LASTMA, FRSC and other agencies had turned Iponri Bus Stop in Surulere, Lagos into a junkyard for impounded vehicles.

However, some of the agencies hurriedly removed the impounded trucks following the report but authorities at the Iponri Police Station have instead, brought more vehicles to the bus stop to compound the woes of motorists on the busy highway.

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NAN correspondents on Wednesday took up the matter with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at the Iponri Police Division, whose name was given simply as Mr Ogunlaja.

But the DPO, to the amazement of NAN correspondents, started blowing hot, lambasting the reporters for daring to ask why the impounded vehicles should be parked at the bus stop, instead of the police barracks.

“You are asking me why the trailers are parked here. Is it your job to be looking into this kind of matter?’’ the visibly angry officer asked.

“Do you see any gridlock here caused by the trailers since you have been plying this route?

“Whether it is during peak hours or not, there has never been gridlock caused by the trailers parked in front of Iponrin Barracks.

“Please, if you do not have any work to do go and look for one,” the police officer said, warning NAN correspondents that they had no business asking why the police would choose to park seized vehicles on public highways to block traffic flow.

Ogunlaja asked further if NAN reporters were the owners of the road to be dictating to him where the trailers should be parked.

“The trailers are exhibits of the police so I should carry them and park them in my house?” he queried.

However, motorists and commuters have been complaining bitterly about the penchant of the Iponri Police Division to park seized trucks at the bus stop to narrow the road.

Motorists plying the Western Avenue have been lamenting persistent traffic jam on the road, caused mainly by illegal parking on the road, especially at Iponri Bus Stop and the Costain Roundabout down the road.

“Police most times, impound vehicles for infractions on the highways and they end up parking the impounded vehicle on the roads to cause even bigger problems for motorists, commuters and the general public.

“Why impound a vehicle if you don’t have enough space in police barracks to keep impounded vehicles,’’ a commuter, Mr Adebisi Olashore, said, lamenting the situation at Iponri Bus Stop.

He pleaded with the police authorities in Lagos State to call their men to order, to stop violating the same laws for which violators were being punished by the police.

A NAN check showed that some of the vehicles seized by the police and other agencies were impounded for minor traffic offences.

Some of the vehicles now deteriorating at various spots have been impounded for periods ranging from several weeks to many years.