The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has intensified its traffic advocacy and public enlightenment campaign with a strategic engagement with transportation unions and other key stakeholders operating across the Ikeja axis of Lagos.
The engagement, aimed at promoting voluntary compliance, responsible road use and efficient traffic management, underscores the Agency’s renewed commitment to complement enforcement with sustained advocacy, stakeholder consultation and grassroots sensitisation.
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, responsible parking and the avoidance of activities capable of causing traffic congestion or endangering other road users.
The Agency stressed that the responsibility of transportation operators goes beyond conveying passengers, noting that commercial drivers and union members are critical partners in the collective effort to promote road safety, traffic order and efficient mobility across Lagos.
Particular emphasis was placed on the need for drivers to desist from indiscriminate parking, illegal U-turns, obstruction of traffic lanes, reckless overtaking, picking up and dropping off passengers at unauthorised locations, driving against traffic and other practices capable of disrupting the free flow of vehicular movement.
The engagement also provided transportation union leaders with an opportunity to highlight operational challenges confronting their members. LASTMA officers, in turn, provided clarifications on traffic regulations, enforcement procedures and appropriate channels for addressing traffic-related concerns.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said the Agency’s approach was driven by the conviction that sustainable traffic management could not be achieved through enforcement alone, but required continuous enlightenment, consultation and collaboration with transport stakeholders.
He noted that transportation unions were strategically positioned to influence the conduct of their members and, consequently, make significant contributions to restoring and sustaining traffic discipline across the metropolis.
According to him:
“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.”
Bakare-Oki further urged union leaders to institutionalise regular sensitisation programmes for their members and ensure that every driver operating under their respective associations understands the consequences of traffic violations and the wider impact of indiscipline on the motoring public.
The Agency appealed to transport operators, motorists and all other road users to view traffic regulations not as punitive measures, but as essential mechanisms for protecting lives, preventing avoidable crashes and ensuring the smooth movement of people and goods across Lagos.
Adebayo Taofiq
Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department
Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA)
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