By Oji Odu
Monday, October 29, 2018, Lagosians are seen stranded at the bus stops waiting for vehicles to take them to their destinations. Unfortunately, most of these vehicles are off the roads. Reason? The Lagos State government has, again, embarked on sanitising Lagos roads, a decision that has become a yearly ritual. This is because the lawless traffic situation returns no sooner the operation ends. Will this year’s own which kick-starts today be any different? Will it mark the beginning of a new sanitised Lagos traffic system?
The Lagos State Police Command has started a joint operation tagged “ Operation Velvet/Operation Restore Sanity on Lagos Roads with other agencies to tackle gridlock and restore sanity on roads in the state.
While addressing stakeholders in Ikeja, the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Edgal Imohimi, said lawlessness of some motorists, among other factors, propelled the command to make the move to restore orderliness.
According to him: “The impunity with which the Lagos State Road Traffic Law is being disobeyed in the state should concern every Lagosian because there is nowhere in the world that lawlessness is allowed.
“The Lagos traffic law must be obeyed; those who engage in commercial driving without the required documents, those who drive against traffic, those that use dedicated BRT lanes and other illegal activities will no longer be allowed to go scot-free.
“The operation will commence on Monday, October 29, and end on Saturday, November 3, 2018.”
The CP urged stakeholders and transport unions to ensure strict compliance to the state traffic law, stating that a mobile court has been attached to each team comprising operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for quick dispensation of justice. He added that enforcement would commence at 6am and end 6pm daily.
The Magazine’s findings reveal that Lagosians are rather unperturbed on the annual sanitisation which has not solved the dreaded Lagos traffic problem.
To Olaniyi Okeowo, a commercial bus driver: “ I don’t see anything new in what they want to do to really deal with this hell of a traffic situation in the state. Unless they have added ‘Hypo’ to the ‘Izal’ and ‘Dettol’ they have been using, the result will still be short-lived.
“ Will the policemen to enforce the laws to tame the lawlessness on Lagos roads be different from the ones that have encouraged it in the past? Will officers of those other agencies-LASTMA, FRSC, NSDC be the same? If so, I can only say God Dey.”
Kelvin Okure, an Importer sees it as a means of punishing some helpless Nigerians. “ If they want to sanitise Lagos roads, why not do something worthy about the Oshodi-Apapa gridlock of hell.
“ Are the commercial bus drivers the only culprits? What about the traffic officers, some of who own the buses, and who encourage their lawlessness? What about the tanker drivers and their untouchable owners? I hope somebody does not just want to score cheap political point?,” he asked.
Okeowo regretted that this is another way of raising short term fund for government because many vehicles will be impounded, and some innocent victims will as usual be extorted of their money or be jailed.
In the recent past, the state incorporated about six thousand spy police into its traffic management team to ease the traffic situation and make Lagosians spend less time in traffic.
According to Imohimi: “The importance of the supernumerary police called ‘spy police’ is to take care of the shortfall of manpower in the police and also assist in security at private organisations.
“ I felt we are not using the spy police optimally. Yes they are doing well at their various organisations but at this trying time, they will be integrated into the traffic management structure of the state.
“First of all, I intend to partner with you for integrated traffic control in the state.
“Though, we have the police traffic officers and the state controlled traffic officers but you will agree with me that Lagos is expanding so there is need for more hands.
“I want a state where we hardly have traffic issues and cases of people disobeying traffic laws.
“I will rather use the spy trained by the police than allow quasi agents take over traffic management in the state, especially on weekends when there are activities.
“I have directed that the 6,000 spy policemen be integrated into the traffic architecture because they cover the length and breadth of the state.” he said.
With the situation of things, Okeowo added that it was a failure because it was not able to spy the root causes of the state hellish gridlock to resolve it. “ Only time will tell if this one will impact on Lagos,” he added.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi, says that 6,000 spy police will be incorporated into traffic management in the state.
Imohimi said this while addressing the spy police at the Police Training School, Ikeja, on Saturday.
He noted that he wanted a state where members of the public would spend less time in traffic.
He said that the spy police had not been optimally utilized as he intended to incorporate them into the integrated traffic management of the state to take care of the shortfall of manpower in the police.
“The importance of the supernumerary police called ‘spy police’ is to take care of the shortfall of manpower in the police and also assist in security at private organisations.
“ I felt we are not using the spy police optimally. Yes they are doing well at their various organisations but at this trying time, they will be integrated into the traffic management structure of the state.
“First of all, I intend to partner with you for integrated traffic control in the state.
“Though, we have the police traffic officers and the state controlled traffic officers but you will agree with me that Lagos is expanding so there is need for more hands.
“I want a state where we hardly have traffic issues and cases of people disobeying traffic laws.
“I will rather use the spy trained by the police than allow quasi agents take over traffic management in the state, especially on weekends when there are activities.
“I have directed that the 6,000 spy policemen be integrated into the traffic architecture because they cover the length and breadth of the state.” he said.
The CP further enjoined members of the public to give the spy police the needed support in carrying out their duties.
