The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has announced plans to intensify traffic management operations across the state as part of measures to tackle increased vehicular and pedestrian movement during the Ember Months and forthcoming festive season.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said the Authority would deploy an intensified 24-hour traffic management strategy to improve traffic flow, detect incidents quickly and reduce congestion on major routes.

Bakare-Oki said LASTMA personnel and specialised response teams would be strategically deployed to congestion-prone areas, major interchanges, bridges, arterial roads, transport terminals and commercial districts.
He said the operation would combine real-time traffic monitoring, strategic corridor management, intersection control, traffic-flow optimisation and rapid response to incidents and obstructions.

According to him, particular attention would be paid to traffic disruptions caused by vehicle breakdowns, crashes, indiscriminate parking, illegal loading and offloading and other obstructions.
He added that the Authority would strengthen its incident management and traffic diversion mechanisms to ensure that accidented and disabled vehicles are quickly removed from carriageways.

Bakare-Oki said tactical diversions and temporary traffic-control measures would also be introduced where necessary to maintain traffic circulation and prevent incidents from causing widespread gridlock.
The LASTMA boss stressed that the expected increase in traffic during the festive period required stronger collaboration among government agencies and other stakeholders.

He said LASTMA would deepen its coordination with the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos Ambulance Service Agency (LASA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, transport unions and other relevant agencies.
The collaboration, he said, would focus on coordinated traffic control, accident evacuation, emergency response and enforcement.

Bakare-Oki urged motorists, commercial transport operators, articulated vehicle and tanker drivers and other road users to exercise greater caution and comply with traffic regulations during the period.
He particularly warned against speeding, reckless overtaking, driving against traffic, illegal parking, indiscriminate loading and offloading and obstruction of traffic lanes.

He also advised motorists embarking on long-distance journeys to conduct proper safety checks on their vehicles, particularly the braking system, tyres, lighting and other critical components.
The General Manager urged motorists and other road users to report crashes, vehicle breakdowns, obstructions and other traffic incidents through LASTMA’s toll-free short code, 3367, to enable the Authority to respond quickly and reduce incident-clearance time.

Bakare-Oki assured Lagos residents and visitors that LASTMA would remain committed to maintaining safe and efficient traffic movement throughout the Ember Months and festive season.
He said achieving seamless mobility during the period would require effective traffic management, inter-agency cooperation and responsible behaviour by motorists and other road users.