People & Money

Lagos Drivers Forfeit 31 Vehicles to Government Over Traffic Offences

It is widely believed that contravention of traffic laws is widespread because drivers believe that they could fairly, easily bribe their way out when apprehended. Drivers are often made to feel that the average Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) official is as interested in profiting personally from traffic offences as in preventing them from happening.

Thirty-one vehicles have been forfeited to the Lagos State government for driving against the traffic on one-way roads. This forfeiture order was pronounced after the 31 drivers pleaded ‘guilty’ to the ‘one-way’ traffic offence charged against them at the Lagos State Mobile Court.

Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, who is the Head of Public Affairs Unit at the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit Task Force disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, ruling that the vehicles contravened the traffic law of the state.

“These arraigned 31 drivers were charged for driving in the direction prohibited by law (one-way) punishable under Part (III) item 27 of the ‘Lagos State Transport Sector Reformed Law of 2018 and have been penalised accordingly,” the court held.

Meanwhile, 43 other drivers arraigned for plying the BRT corridors and causing road obstructions were ordered to pay fines to the government, in accordance with the law and severity of their offence.

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Reacting to the ruling, the Chairman of the Lagos State Environment and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Task Force), Olayinka Egbeyemi, confirmed that 160 traffic offenders were billed to be arraigned before the court.

He noted that only 74 had so far appeared before the court and urged the remaining 86 offenders to do the same immediately.

Egbeyemi explained that the agency acted in response to a series of complaints from residents, particularly motorists, that activities of one-way drivers were causing serious traffic on daily basis since the #EndSARS protests.

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“It is painful that with a high level of enlightenment campaigns and several warnings by the government, motorists including private car owners are still driving against traffic, knowing fully well that the penalty for such offence is outright forfeiture of the said vehicle to the government,” he said.

It is widely believed that contravention of traffic laws is widespread because drivers believe that they could fairly, easily bribe their way out when apprehended. Drivers are often made to feel that the average Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) official is as interested in profiting personally from traffic offences as in preventing them from happening.

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