LASTMA Impounds 123 Vehicles Over Illegal Parking, Arrests 19 Suspected Criminals In Lagos

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) conducted an operation on Tuesday, impounding a total of 123 vehicles for illegal parking and operating garages on bridges across Lagos Island.

The enforcement team, led by the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, issued a statement yesterday describing the operation’s details.

According to Bakare-Oki, the operation was carried out in accordance with the directive of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa.

He said despite multiple warnings issued to both private and commercial bus drivers to refrain from indiscriminate parking and illegal garages around bridges, compliance was not observed.

Naija News understands that the impounded vehicles were located in the areas of Ebute-Ero by Idumota Bridge, Simpson Bridge, Apongbon under Bridge, and the Elegbata area of Lagos Island.

The LASTMA General Manager said: “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.

“We will continue to ensure free flow of traffic by scaling up our enforcement and clampdown on these stubborn private and commercial bus drivers.”

In the latest development, a total of 19 individuals involved in criminal activities have been apprehended during a law enforcement operation targeting the unlawful collection of parking fees from unsuspecting motorists.

Speaking on the operation, the Director of LASTMA’s Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, said investigations have revealed that these arrested individuals posed as authorized government agents, using counterfeit identification cards to extort money from innocent motorists and even illegal traders operating on the roadside.

Furthermore, the General Manager confirmed that both the owners and drivers of the 123 vehicles involved in the violation, along with the apprehended criminals, will face prosecution at the Lagos State Mobile Court for contravening the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018.