The Lagos State Government has delayed the implementation of its divisive parking regulation and the payment of the charge until 2023.
The enforcement of parking laws will begin in the second quarter of 2023, according to the Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA).
When speaking to reporters on Wednesday, LASPA general manager Adebisi Adelabu denied assertions that the authority was created only to generate income.
Adelabu clarified that the parking authority's goal was to make parking a way of life in the state.
According to her, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, signed a law requiring the development of a well-planned and coordinated parking management system for the Lagos of the future in light of the state's expanding population.
Amid opposition to the parking policy, Lagos State said, it was designed to decongest traffic, address climate change challenges and create job opportunities.
Lagos State government said it had a mutual agreement with the local governments for the former to collect parking fees in the state.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, questioned the constitutionality of parking fees after it was introduced by LASPA in August.
“I believe that once the state passes legislation assigning the functions of valuation of tenement rates to the local government as the Constitution has directed, only the local government council will have the power to deal with that subject,” Falana said.
“The state has no power to deal with the matter and the local government council cannot, even if it wants to, divest itself of those powers.”
Adelabu said LASPA and its operations are backed by law to assist Lagos residents to be mindful of parking their vehicles appropriately, as this would impact positively on the environment and the roads.
“The Lagos State Parking Authority is an Agency of Government created by law, under the leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, with the core mandate to regulate and manage all forms of Parking, register existing private, and public parks and holistically tackle the menace of parking,” Adelabu said.
“There was need for our establishment to regulate parking because, we have Vehicle Inspection Authority, and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, but parking is essential to tackle traffic congestion.
“If one really wants to address traffic challenges, we need to start from the parking problem and that is why LASPA was established.
“We are working with the Local Government to achieve their mandate in terms of parking.”