The Ogun State Government has warned articulated vehicle drivers to desist from parking their trucks along roadsides, particularly around the Ogere axis of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, citing safety and traffic concerns.

The Acting Corps Commander of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Mr Elias Omonayajo, issued the warning during an interactive session with stakeholders at the Ogere TRACE Divisional Command.

Omonayajo expressed concern over the manner in which some articulated vehicle drivers obstruct major highways in the state by parking on the roadside, regretting that such practices had contributed to road accidents.

He cautioned drivers against posing risks to other road users through what he described as illegal parking, noting that it hindered the free flow of traffic. He stressed that the safety of lives and property should be paramount.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, AIG Shola Subair (rtd), and the Consultant to the Governor on Security, CP Edward Ajogun (rtd), said the state government was dissatisfied with the indiscriminate parking of trucks and the blockage of highways.

They called for the establishment of a task force to enforce traffic regulations and apprehend defaulters, while urging drivers to support TRACE in ensuring smooth traffic flow and reducing crashes.

The Seriki Awusawa of Ogere, Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar, thanked the state government for the engagement and assured that he would ensure drivers complied with traffic rules and made use of designated parking lots provided by the government.

Abubakar, however, appealed to the state government to carry out palliative works within the garages to make them more accessible for articulated vehicle drivers.

Earlier, the Onimeji of Imeji Kingdom, Oba Babatunde, represented by the Iyaloja of Tiwa New Town, Ogere, Chief Bunkuola Sonubi, alongside Mr Adenuga Ridwan, representing Dangote Sugar, said the challenge of illegal parking and highway obstruction required collective responsibility.

Stakeholders at the meeting included representatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Amotekun, the Police, road transport unions, manufacturers, and community leaders.