LASTMA Intensifies Traffic Advocacy, Engages Transport Unions Across Ikeja

OLORUNDARE ENIMOLA, Lagos

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has intensified its traffic advocacy and public enlightenment campaign with a strategic engagement of transportation unions and other stakeholders operating across the Ikeja axis of Lagos.

The initiative, according to the agency, is aimed at promoting voluntary compliance, responsible road use and efficient traffic management, while complementing enforcement activities with sustained stakeholder engagement and grassroots enlightenment.

During the engagement, LASTMA officials interacted with leaders and members of various transportation unions, sensitising them on the need for strict compliance with traffic regulations, disciplined driving, proper loading and off-loading procedures and responsible parking.

The officials also urged commercial drivers to avoid practices capable of causing congestion or endangering other road users, including indiscriminate parking, illegal U-turns, obstruction of traffic lanes, reckless overtaking, picking up or dropping passengers at unauthorised locations and driving against traffic.

The agency stressed that the responsibilities of transport operators extend beyond the conveyance of passengers, noting that commercial drivers and members of transportation unions are important partners in maintaining road safety, traffic order and efficient mobility across Lagos.

The engagement also provided an opportunity for union leaders to highlight operational challenges confronting their members, while LASTMA officers provided clarifications on traffic regulations, enforcement procedures and appropriate channels for resolving traffic-related concerns.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said sustainable traffic management could not be achieved through enforcement alone, stressing the need for continuous enlightenment, consultation and collaboration with transport stakeholders.

Bakare-Oki noted that transportation unions were strategically positioned to influence the conduct of their members and make significant contributions to restoring and sustaining traffic discipline across the metropolis.

“Our objective is not merely to enforce compliance but to cultivate understanding, responsibility and voluntary adherence to the law. Transportation operators are critical partners in this endeavour because their daily activities have a direct bearing on traffic flow, road safety and the overall mobility experience of Lagosians,” he said.

The LASTMA boss urged union leaders to institutionalise continuous sensitisation programmes for their members and ensure that drivers understand the consequences of traffic violations and the wider implications of indiscipline on other road users.

He appealed to transport operators, motorists and other road users to regard traffic regulations not as punitive measures, but as essential safeguards for protecting lives, preventing avoidable crashes and ensuring the smooth movement of people and goods across Lagos.

The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, issued the statement on behalf of the agency.