Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has mandated the clearance of all abandoned vehicles that have been carelessly placed below bridges around the state.
Sola Giwa, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, made this announcement on Monday at an urgent meeting with influential figures in the industry that took place in Ikeja.
Mr. Giwa claimed that when Mr. Sanwo-Olu issued the “Executive Order” on traffic and sanitation, he made it clear that he had zero tolerance for environmental abuse, unlawful and careless disposal of trash, and environmental deterioration. Mr. Giwa urged owners of abandoned vehicles to abide by the “Removal Notice” because it had become necessary because of security concerns and the resulting traffic jams in some locations including Costain, Apapa, Ajah, and Lekki, among others. Bolaji Oreagba, General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), gave a speech in which he presented truck and vehicle owners with a seven-day removal and compliance notice.
He warned them that if they didn’t cooperate, their cars would be seized, and they would be prosecuted. Mr. Oreagba expressed concern that the abandoned vehicles were being used as hideouts by criminals, and that the current surroundings made it possible for them to avoid being apprehended by the police.
He claimed that because the state administration was committed to easing traffic congestion near the axis, it had become critical to eliminate obstacles to such a policy. He claims that the program is opposed to the indiscriminate parking and abandoning of vehicles on the roadways.
Therefore, he gave the owners a warning to get them out of the region before the deadline passed since “there is no going back on this.”
