THE NEW LAGOS ROAD TRAFFIC BILL BY GOV. FASHOLA
State on Thursday signed the Lagos
State Road Traffic Bill into law.
The governor assented to the bill at a ceremony attended by members of the
executive council, top officials of the police and those of other traffic management
agencies.
Fashola said the new law was a holistic review of the state’s traffic law of
2003, adding that it was designed to ensure safety on the roads.
He said that the growth of Lagos into a mega city with large migration into the
state had resulted in traffic congestion, saying that the new law was one of
government`s strategies to manage the situation.
“This new law is also the state government’s intervention to the alarming
statistics of road accidents, especially those caused by reckless driving and
activities of commercial motorcyclists.
“From records at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), 722
accidents were reported, comprising 568 males and 154 females between January
and July this year.
“At our Toll Gate Trauma Centre, 254 accidents, which resulted in 35 deaths,
were recorded during the same period. Fifty per cent of the cases were caused
by okada riders, 27 per cent of the victims were passengers and 23 per cent
pedestrians.
“These are alarming figures and we cannot afford to allow this to continue,
hence our intervention with this law. “ he said.
Fashola sought residents’ voluntary compliance with the law, emphasising its
real objective was to improve the traffic situation rather than putting people
in jail.
He pledged that his government would strictly implement the law, assuring that
offenders would be given fair hearing and would be accorded the right to defend
themselves during prosecution. The law sought to promote the life expectancy of
residents as it would significantly reduce congestion.
And the law would not be implemented immediately, adding that a lot of public
enlightenment would be carried out while copies distributed to residents.
The new law, a copy of which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),
clearly spelt’s out what now constituted traffic offences in the state, as well
as the penalty each attracted.
According to the document, trailers, with the exemption of fuel tankers and
long passenger trucks are now prohibited from entering into or travelling
within the metropolis from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Violators risk impoundment of their vehicles and payment of N50,000 fine or six
months imprisonment.
Another salient provision of the law is the prohibition of eating, counting
money, making phone calls and engaging in other dangerous activities while
driving, prescribing a fine of N30,000 for violators.
Other highlights included the ban on operations of commercial motorcycles and
tricycles on major bridges, Ikorodu Road,
Funsho Williams Avenue,
Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos-Badagry Expressway and Lekki-Epe Expressway.
It also compelled commercial bus drivers and their conductors to wear
identification tags while property owners are also compelled to report cases of
abandoned vehicles in their vicinity or risk punishment.
Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) are
empowered to administer breathylizers on drivers to detect their drunkenness
while owners of commercial vehicles are compelled to obtain operating licences
from government. (NAN)
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