In a bid to restore free vehicular movement, maintain order, and enforce traffic laws, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has impounded 155 vehicles, including tricycles and heavily loaded trucks, for violating traffic regulations across the Lagos Island axis.
The vehicles were seized for operating in unauthorized garages and parks that have caused persistent traffic congestion.
These activities have long obstructed traffic and created serious safety risks for both pedestrians and legitimate businesses.
The enforcement operation covered major flashpoints such as Ebute-Ero, Oke-Arin Market, Odofin Street, Elegbata, and Marina (Oando Under Bridge), areas historically plagued by illegal parking, indiscriminate trading, and makeshift garages.
The exercise, supervised by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, on Tuesday, targeted unlawful garages, roadside shanties, and informal trading clusters that contribute to gridlock, environmental degradation, and insecurity.
Giwa emphasized that the operation aligns with LASTMA’s reinforced 24-hour traffic management mandate and forms part of the Lagos State Government’s broader strategy to enhance mobility and ensure traffic order ahead of the festive season.
“Illegal garages, unregulated markets, and roadside shanties have undermined our goal of smooth traffic flow. These impoundments send a clear signal that unlawful activities disrupting public order or endangering lives will no longer be tolerated,” Giwa stated.
He added that the campaign aims to create a safer, cleaner, and more orderly urban environment for both motorists and pedestrians. Residents and business owners in the affected areas have welcomed the intervention, describing it as timely and necessary.
Giwa assured that the exercise will continue across other parts of the state where similar violations occur.
He urged motorists, traders, and transport operators to comply with traffic and environmental regulations and to report broken-down or abandoned vehicles to LASTMA via the toll-free hotline: 0810000527862.
“The ultimate vision of the Lagos State Government is a safer, cleaner, and more livable city. Compliance with traffic regulations is both a legal requirement and a civic responsibility,” Giwa concluded.
