Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered the removal of all abandoned vehicles parked indiscriminately under bridges across the state.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, made this known on Monday, during an emergency meeting with stakeholders held at Ikeja.
According to Giwa, Sanwo-Olu had declared zero tolerance for environmental abuse, illegal and indiscriminate dumping of refuse and defacing of the environment when he signed the “Executive Order” on traffic and sanitation.
”I can assure you that the government will enforce this notice after the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum beginning from today (Monday),” he said.
The aide appealed to owners of abandoned vehicles to comply, as the ‘Removal Notice’ became necessary due to security issues and attendant gridlock in identified areas such as Costain, Apapa, Ajah, and Lekki, among others.
In his address, Bolaji Oreagba, the General Manager, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), served the seven-day removal and compliance notice to owners of trucks and vehicles parked under the Costain Bridge area.
He urged them to comply or risk having their vehicles impounded and prosecuted.
Oreagba expressed worries that the abandoned vehicles were serving as hideouts for criminals, and the present nature of the environment allowed them to escape police arrest.
According to him, the indiscriminate parking and abandonment of trucks on the roads is inimical to traffic guarding policy.
”We are using this medium to warn motorists parking under the bridge of Costain to vacate this area within seven days of grace because the act is a total violation of traffic laws of the state.”
”Apart from violating the laws, this act can serve as a haven for criminals, and because of the security threat in the state, we do not want to leave any stone unturned.
“Therefore, after the expiration of the seven days’ grace, we are going to carry out a total clean-up operation of the entire area and subsequently move to other identified areas such as Ajah, Apapa, Lekki, Agege, and the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, among others.
”Please help us to put this information across to them because there is no going back on this exercise,” Oreagba said.