BY: AYO AGBEOLUWAYE

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has commenced anl statewide enforcement initiative aimed at curbing the pervasive and hazardous practice of vehicular overloading, as part of its sustained commitment to enhancing road safety. 

In an early-morning, coordinated enforcement exercise conducted after repeated warnings issued through multiple public sensitization platforms the Agency impounded twenty-seven (27) commercial and private vehicles found to be in flagrant breach of prescribed loading limits and established safety standards.

The operation was executed in strict accordance with the directive of the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, following heightened concerns over the escalating risks posed by overloaded vehicles on major arterial corridors and densely trafficked routes.

The General Manager of LASTMA emphasised that vehicular overloading constitutes a serious contravention of the State’s traffic laws, posing grave dangers not only to the occupants of the offending vehicles but also to other road users.

Describing the scenario as unsightly, Mr. Bakare Oki decried the rampant overloading of commercial buses, private cars and even articulated vehicles with goods and scrap metals in blatant disregard for public safety.
He reiterated the Agency’s zero-tolerance stance against all traffic infractions that imperil lives and property, warning that enforcement actions against defaulters will remain sustained, intensified.

LASTMA therefore urges all motorists to adhere strictly to stipulated loading capacities, maintain unobstructed visibility at all times and prioritise roadworthiness and safety in their daily operations. 

The agency charged Members of the public to report any commercial or private vehicles found to be in violation of prescribed loading limits via the LASTMA Toll-Free Hotline: 0800-005-27862 to enable swift enforcement and immediate corrective action.