The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has inaugurated and decorated over 100 LASTMA Mayors as part of an expanded grassroots mobilisation strategy aimed at strengthening community participation, promoting responsible motoring and enhancing traffic management across Lagos State ahead of the forthcoming Ember Months and the festive season.
The colourful Investiture, Rebranding and Induction Ceremony, held at the Agency’s headquarters in Lagos, is designed to deepen community-based traffic advocacy, encourage civic responsibility and mobilise voluntary support for the maintenance of traffic orderliness before, during and after the festive season.
Speaking at the event, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, stressed that effective traffic management should not be regarded as the exclusive responsibility of government agencies, noting that sustainable traffic governance requires collective commitment, shared responsibility and active participation by all stakeholders.
He explained that the inauguration of over 100 LASTMA Mayors would significantly strengthen the Agency’s public enlightenment initiatives and expand its grassroots engagement through voluntary advocacy, motorists’ sensitisation and the dissemination of essential road safety information.
According to him, the initiative is strategically designed to complement the statutory responsibilities and operational activities of uniformed LASTMA personnel while fostering a more inclusive, responsive and effective traffic management system capable of addressing the anticipated increase in vehicular movement during the Ember Months and December festivities.
Bakare-Oki described the LASTMA Mayors as important community liaison ambassadors whose influence and proximity to residents, commercial transport operators, market leaders and other stakeholders would facilitate the promotion of traffic discipline, voluntary compliance and a responsible road-use culture.
In a related development, the General Manager appealed to religious leaders across Christian and Islamic denominations to partner strategically with LASTMA by deploying their moral influence, spiritual authority and congregational platforms to promote road safety consciousness.
He urged pastors, imams, clerics and other religious functionaries to incorporate messages on responsible motoring, pedestrian safety and compliance with traffic regulations into their sermons, worship services, religious gatherings and other faith-based engagements.
Specifically, he called on religious leaders to educate their congregations on the dangers of dangerous driving practices, including driving against traffic (one-way), excessive speeding, reckless overtaking, indiscriminate parking and other traffic violations that could result in fatal road crashes, loss of lives and destruction of property.
He also emphasised the importance of regular vehicle maintenance, urging motorists to routinely inspect their braking systems, tyres, steering mechanisms, lighting systems and other critical mechanical components. He maintained that ensuring the roadworthiness of vehicles remains a fundamental requirement for safe motoring.
Bakare-Oki further cautioned that the excitement, social engagements and recreational activities associated with the festive season must not translate into traffic indiscipline, reckless driving or avoidable road tragedies. He therefore urged motorists to exercise patience, restraint and heightened vigilance while demonstrating unwavering respect for traffic regulations.
Meanwhile, the Director of Traffic Advocacy and Special Mayors, Mr. Awoyemi Jimmy, reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to intensifying strategic traffic deployment, operational surveillance, public enlightenment and inter-agency collaboration to ensure improved vehicular movement, pedestrian safety and uninterrupted traffic flow across major transportation corridors in Lagos State throughout the festive period.
He also highlighted the importance of the newly inaugurated volunteer network, describing it as an additional institutional framework for expanding public engagement, strengthening traffic awareness and encouraging voluntary compliance with established road-use regulations.
Similarly, the Coordinator of the State Mayors of Traffic (SMT), Mr. Tajudeen Othman, assured the Lagos State Government and LASTMA management of the Mayors’ commitment to carrying out their responsibilities with diligence, integrity, discipline and exemplary cooperation with members of the public.
He affirmed that the newly inaugurated Mayors would utilise their respective community networks to intensify traffic enlightenment, promote voluntary compliance and complement the Agency's efforts towards achieving a safer, more orderly and efficiently managed transportation environment across Lagos State.
Adebayo Taofiq
Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department
Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA)
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