LASTMA Deploys 24-Hour Traffic Management Plan For Ember Months, Seeks Stakeholders’ Support
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has announced plans to intensify traffic management operations across the state as Lagos prepares for increased vehicular and pedestrian movement during the Ember Months and the forthcoming festive season.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, disclosed this in Lagos, noting that the Authority would implement an intensified 24-hour traffic management strategy aimed at improving traffic flow, reducing congestion and ensuring prompt response to incidents across major roads.
Bakare-Oki said LASTMA personnel and specialised response teams would be strategically deployed to congestion-prone locations, major interchanges, bridges, arterial roads, transport terminals and commercial districts.
According to him, the operation would involve real-time traffic monitoring, strategic corridor management, intersection control, traffic-flow optimisation and rapid response to road incidents and obstructions.
He said the Authority would pay particular attention to disruptions arising from vehicle breakdowns, road crashes, indiscriminate parking, illegal loading and offloading, as well as other activities capable of obstructing traffic.
The LASTMA boss added that incident management and traffic diversion mechanisms would be strengthened to ensure that accidented and disabled vehicles were promptly removed from carriageways, thereby minimising delays and preventing isolated incidents from developing into widespread gridlock.
He explained that tactical diversions and temporary traffic-control measures would be introduced where necessary to sustain traffic circulation, particularly around heavily congested corridors.
Bakare-Oki stressed that managing the anticipated increase in traffic during the festive period would require effective collaboration among government agencies and other stakeholders.
He said LASTMA would strengthen its coordination with the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos Ambulance Service Agency (LASA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, transport unions and other relevant bodies.
He noted that the collaboration would focus on coordinated traffic control, accident evacuation, emergency response and enforcement operations.
The General Manager urged motorists, commercial transport operators, articulated vehicle and tanker drivers, as well as other road users, to exercise caution and comply with traffic regulations throughout the period.
He specifically warned motorists against speeding, reckless overtaking, driving against traffic, illegal parking, indiscriminate loading and offloading, and the obstruction of traffic lanes.
Bakare-Oki also advised motorists embarking on long-distance journeys to carry out proper safety checks on their vehicles before departure, with particular attention to braking systems, tyres, lighting and other critical components.
He urged road users to promptly report crashes, vehicle breakdowns, obstructions and other traffic-related incidents through LASTMA’s toll-free short code, 3367, to facilitate rapid response and reduce the time required to clear incidents from the roads.
Bakare-Oki assured Lagos residents and visitors that LASTMA would remain committed to ensuring safe and efficient movement across the state throughout the Ember Months and festive season.
He emphasised that achieving seamless mobility during the period would depend not only on effective traffic management and inter-agency cooperation but also on responsible behaviour and strict compliance with traffic regulations by all road users.
