• Group hails closure of markets

Lagos State Government, yesterday, issued a seven-day ‘vacation order’ to motorists/commercial bus drivers operating on top of bridges across the State.

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa issued the order citing the need to remove every infraction impeding free flow of traffic on bridges across the State.

According to him, the order takes immediate effect from today, October 16.
Giwa disclosed that despite several warnings, motorists/commercial bus drivers have continued to defy government order and causing serious obstructions around these bridges with great negative impacts on the integrity of the bridges and traffic.

He said: “Every motorist/commercial bus driver operating along Apongbon and Idumota (Cater) bridges, ‘Elegbata, ‘Ebute-Ero’ and ‘Ejalonibu’ must as a matter of urgency vacate these areas as Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) would commence strict enforcement operation immediately after the expiration of this ultimatum until zero tolerance is achieved across the state.”

He said the activities of the motorists/commercial bus drivers on bridges are contrary to provisions of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018 as amended.

He warned that after the expiration of the ultimatum, vehicles that contravened the rules would be immediately charged to the Lagos State Mobile Court for prosecutions.

Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society groups, yesterday, called on Lagos State Government to sustain its closure of dirty markets and not be cowed by those inputting ethnic and political sentiments to those already closed.

The group, during a press briefing, addressed by Declan Ihekaire, yesterday, maintained that all citizens must ensure the state is clean while the state government must work to ensure the state is clean by enforcing environmental laws.

Ihekaire stated that dirty markets pose danger of contracting communicable diseases with the state prone to experiencing epidemic disease outbreaks.

He enjoined the state government to enforce total compliance with the state environmental laws and other laws that will promote a clean and hygienic state, saying it is the best way to go.

He argued that the government’s failure to enforce the law over the years is why the markets are constantly dirty and people have seen it as the norm.

He called on the state government to look beyond enforcing environmental laws to clamp down on commercial motorcyclists in areas where they are banned.

Also speaking, a member of the coalition and the Chairman of Odua Determination Group, Ogunlana Dayo, said rather than condemn the government, it should be commended for this action because these traders in the market are causing nuisance.