The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has inducted journalists as media mayors to promote safety on Lagos roads. The Special Traffic Mayor Corp was created in 2008 to assist the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officers in the management of traffic within the state.

Speaking at the induction in Lagos, General Manager, LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said the occasion transcends the bounds of a mere ceremonial gathering, explaining that it heralds the inception of a strategic alliance designed to consolidate and elevate the synergy between the LASTMA and the media fraternity, with the ultimate objective of cultivating a more regulated, secure and efficient traffic ecosystem.

Bakare-Oki said the press, as the fourth estate of the realm, remains an indomitable instrument for the propagation of public enlightenment, shaping of societal perception and sustenance of democratic principles.

According to him, within the ambit of traffic management and urban mobility, the media’s influence assumes even greater significance through meticulous reportage, incisive investigative narratives and judicious critique.

He said journalists possess the singular capacity to educate motorists, inform commuters and hold all stakeholders accountable in the relentless pursuit of a functional and orderly traffic framework.