. Seeks media collaboration to improve traffic operations in Lagos
By Eniola Idris
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), has disclosed that it operates on cashless policy, urging the public to refuse paying cash to officers for any traffic offence.
The Acting General Manager, LASTMA, Mr Bolaji Oreagba, during a media parley, called for media support in improving traffic operations and boosting the image of the authority.
He said there was need for the authority to be more closer to the media for support information on the operations of their officers and members of the public to enable them excell in their mandate.
According to him, LASTMA is saddled with the responsibility to checkmate misconduct to, by and on road users.
“Whenever you discover that our officers are not getting it right please let the management be aware so that justice will prevail on any traffic offenders issues.
“We already have a standard disciplinary method to punish our officers who had gone wrong in exhibiting the roles of the authority.
“We reduce accidents as a result of our activities on Lagos roads, ” he said.
The general manager said that the authority has a training institute for the officers, adding that in spite that they can see some officers misbehaving in the course of discharging their duties.
Oreagba regretted that they had numbers of officers that had been killed, injured and permanently disabled during the course of their duty.
He, however, commended the Lagos State Government under the leadership of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for providing a new uniform for officers.
The Director of Legal, LASTMA, Mr Oseni Akerele, said that the authority would soon showcase a new disciplinary order against the agency’s officers.
Akerele said that Lagos state was taking another face-lift and there could be a lot of traffic while the authority was ready to continue to punish the traffic offenders as well as officers who go against the protocol.
He said the highest fine on LASTMA law today as penalty is 100,000 and as to do with fiscal assort with LASTMA officer, the highest fine to forfeiture is N200,000 and the least of offences was N10,000.
“We have about 4,000 officers on ground but if we found any of them guilty we recommend officers for punishment and we prosecute and traffic offenders.
“LASTMA have power to prosecute, tow, direct offender to driving institute and we are to enforce the National and State Traffic Laws in Lagos,” Akerele said.
He therefore advised the public to always verify payment of fines before paying for any LASTMA offence, adding the the legal department also mediate between the officers and the offenders.
Also speaking, the Director Logistics of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare, pleaded with the media to support the management to enable them reduce traffic offences to barest minimal.
Bakare said that the Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had directed the management to give priority to junior staffs while distributing uniforms, adding that new name tagged had been provided by the state government as well.
“The state government have promised to provide more patrol vehicles, bike, traffic equipment and electronic message boxes have mounted at Tollgate and Obanikoro for dishing our traffic information,” Bakare said.
He said that some of their officers had been given awards and recognition through the Lagos State Government, corporate organisations and the NGOs.
The LASTMA Provost, Mr Biliaminu Apane, said the authority was saddled in ensuring that residents and drivers follow the the authority guidelines, adding that their conduct is being guided by public service rules.
Apane said that LASTMA operate on cashless policy, advising the public to refuse paying cash to officers for any traffic offence, saying they mediate between offenders and officers to enable them provide a win win situation
