Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered the removal of all abandoned vehicles parked indiscriminately under bridges across the state, in view of rising incidences of recent security threats and attendants gridlock in identified areas, including Costain, Apapa, Ajah, Lekki, among others.
This was just as Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), served a 7- Day removal and compliance notice to owners of trucks and vehicles parked under Costain Bridge area of the state or risk being impounded and prosecuted.
Special Adviser (SA) to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa and General Manager LASTMA, Bolaji Oregba respectively disclosed these on Monday, during an emergency meeting with stakeholders and management of the agency, held at Alausa, Ikeja Lagos.
Giwa said the state governor, Mr Sanwo-Olu had declared zero tolerance for environmental abuse, illegal and indiscriminate dumping of refuse and defacing of the environment when he signed ‘Executive Order’ on traffic and sanitation, assuring that the government was resolved to enforce the order after the expiration of the seven- day notice beginning from Monday.
“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had declared zero tolerance for environmental abuse, illegal and indiscriminate dumping of refuse and defacing of the environment when he signed ‘Executive Order’ on traffic and sanitation.
“I can assure you that government will enforce this notice after the expiration of the seven days ultimatum beginning from today (Monday),” he said.
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The governor’s aide, while appealing to owners to comply, explained that the ‘Removal Notice’ became necessary in view of the rising incidences of recent security threat and attendant gridlock in identified areas which include, Costain, Apapa, Ajah, Lekki, among others.
Oregaba, in his address, expressed worries that the affected trucks and vehicles parked under the bridges were serving as hideouts for criminals, adding that the present nature of the environment allowed criminals to escape police arrest.
He added that the state government was committed to reducing the traffic incidence around the axes, hence, it had become important to remove every bottleneck to such policy.Â
Oreagba described the indiscriminate parking and abandonment of trucks on the road as inimical to that policy, warning the owners to remove them from the area before the expiration of the deadline as, according to him, “there is no going back on this.”
“We are using this medium to warn owners of motorists parking under the bridge of Costain to vacate this area within seven days of grace because the act is in total violation of traffic laws of the state.
“Apart from violating the laws, this act can serve as a haven to criminals and because of the security threat in the state, we do not want to leave any stone unturned.
“Therefore, after the expiration of the seven days grace, we are going to carry out a total clean-up operation of the entire area and subsequently to other identified areas such as Ajah, Apapa, Lekki, Agege, Lagos- Abeokuta Expressway, among others. Please help us to put this information across to them because there is no going back on this exercise,” he said.