The Lagos State House of Assembly has made provisions for compulsory lane markings, traffic laws signals on highways in the ongoing amendment of the Lagos Traffic Law and Regulations.
The Chairman, House Committee on Transportation, Mr Temitope Adewale (Ifako-Ijaiye I), made this known during an oversight tour of the Lagos Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Friday.
Adewale said there would be appropriate sanctions for violators of traffic lane marking on the highway, adding that the signs and markings on the highway would further reduce the gridlock experienced by motorists.
“In the new amendment of the Traffic Law before the House, under Section 28 of the bill, we have made provisions for compulsory lane marking, traffic light signals, and registering of signs.
“This is to further enhance the LASTMA jobs and the House of Assembly will continue to support the agency,” he said.
Adewale said the assembly had received hundreds of petitions from the public on the excessiveness of LASTMA officials, adding that it was also aware of unruly private and commercial drivers in the state.
He said: “With the population of over 22 million people, we only have 4239 LASTMA officers, therefore, there is a need for more traffic officers on our roads.
“There is a need for improved welfare and there is a need for them to be equipped properly with traffic control infrastructure.
“We know that LASTMA job is the toughest because there is constant vehicular movement from one point to another every day within the metropolis and beyond
“However, it is the duty of the agency to ensure the free flow of traffic within the state and we know this has been a difficult task to accomplish,” he said.
Adewale said he was impressed with the rate of enforcement by the agency, urging it to continue to improve on its enforcement exercise in order to have a free flow of traffic across the major highways.
Earlier, General Manager, LASTMA, Mr Olajide Oduyoye, told the committee that the agency was facing numerous challenges such as the inadequate provision of space for impounded vehicles.
Oduyoye said other challenges included non-availability of zonal office, change/refresh rooms for officers, non-availability of functional patrol vehicles, and inadequate recovery vehicles.
He noted that the agency lacked signage that was required for speed limits and no parking on the highway.
The general manager expressed concern over the intrusion on the highway by on-street parking and the improper planning approval given to filling stations an event centres.
He said that the agency had a total staff strength of 4239, three officers had been dismissed while 18 had died from active service.
The LASTMA boss said that 13,461 vehicles were involved in traffic violations between January and August this year.
“The agency also had a total of 14,697 road traffic law offences during the period under review.
“While the agency also recorded 1,756 road traffic crashes involving 2469 vehicles in the state.
“Out of which 1,047 accident involved private vehicles, while 1,416 are commercial vehicles, while four crashes involved government vehicles,” he said.
Oduyoye said that 2069 casualties were recorded from which 88 died; 60 were involved in fatal crashes; 1108 were serious crashes, while 594 were involved in minor crashes.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other agencies visited by the committee were the Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL), Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI), and the Lagos State Number Plate Production Authority.
Other members of the committee are Mr Rasheed Makinde (Ifako Ijaye II), Mr Ganiyu Okanlawon (Kosofe I), Mr Lanre Afinni (Lagos Island II).