The Lagos State Mobile Court has ordered the forfeiture of 31 vehicles to the government for contravening the State Traffic Law by driving against the traffic.
The court made the pronouncement after the 31 defendants (drivers) pleaded “guilty” to the “One-way” traffic offence charged against them.
According to the Mobile Court, “These arraigned 31 drivers were charged for driving in the direction prohibited by Law (One-way) punishable under Part (III) item 27 of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reformed Law of 2018 and have been penalized accordingly.”
The court, however, ordered 43 other drivers arraigned for plying the BRT corridors and causing road obstructions to pay fines to the government in accordance with the law and severity of their offence.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Lagos State Environment and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce), CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, confirmed that out of 160 arraigned traffic offenders, including those apprehended for driving against traffic (One-way) only 74 had so far appeared before the court.
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The chairman, while urging remaining 86 others who were yet to appear before the court to do so immediately, said the agency acted in response to series of complaints from members of the public particularly motorists.
According to Egbeyemi, in a statement made available to newsmen by the agency’s spokesperson, Mr Tafiq Adebayo, members of the public had complained that activities of one-way drivers were causing serious traffic gridlock on daily basis since the #EndSARS protest across the state.
The Task Force boss said it was painful that despite the high level of enlightenment campaigns and several warnings by the government, motorists including private car owners were still driving against traffic knowing full well that the penalty for such offence was outright forfeiture of the said vehicle to the government.
“It is painful that with a high level of enlightenment campaigns and several warnings by the government, motorists including private car owners are still driving against traffic knowing full well that the penalty for such offence is outright forfeiture of the said vehicle to the government,” he said.
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