LASTMA Cracks Down 123 Vehicles Impounded For Illegal Parking, 19 Suspected Criminals Arrested In Lagos

LASTMA Cracks Down 123 Vehicles Impounded For Illegal Parking, 19 Suspected Criminals Arrested In Lagos

In a decisive move, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) conducted a sweeping operation on Tuesday, impounding a total of 123 vehicles for illegal parking and dismantling makeshift garages on bridges across Lagos Island…..READ ALSO EFCC Cracks Down: Trio Arraigned For Alleged Hoarding Of Foreign Currencies In OyO

The operation, led by LASTMA’s General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki, was executed in line with directives from the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, as disclosed in a statement issued by the enforcement team yesterday.

Despite repeated warnings issued to both private and commercial bus drivers against indiscriminate parking and the establishment of illegal garages around bridges, compliance remained elusive.

The impounded vehicles were found in various areas, including Ebute-Ero by Idumota Bridge, Simpson Bridge, Apongbon under Bridge, and the Elegbata vicinity of Lagos Island.

Expressing dismay over the situation, LASTMA’s General Manager remarked, “It was nauseating seeing these private and commercial bus drivers constituting public nuisance by parking at free will around bridges, thereby causing avoidable gridlock and inconvenience to other motorists and road users using these Bridges to link up with other parts of the State.”

The enforcement effort didn’t stop at illegal parking; it extended to tackling criminal activities within the transportation sector. During the operation, 19 individuals suspected of engaging in criminal activities, such as extorting parking fees from motorists using counterfeit identification cards, were apprehended.

Commenting on the arrests, Adebayo Taofiq, Director of LASTMA’s Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, emphasized that the culprits exploited their false identities as government agents to unlawfully collect money from unsuspecting motorists and roadside traders.

Both the owners and drivers of the impounded vehicles, along with the apprehended criminals, will face prosecution at the Lagos State Mobile Court for violating the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018, as confirmed by the General Manager.