• Records 1,756 road accidents between January and August
The General Manager, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Olajide Oduyoye, has on Friday decried the insufficient space for impounded vehicles in the state.
Oduyoye registered the agency’s worries among other challenges during an oversight tour of LASTMA by the State House of Assembly today.
Other challenges facing the agency, according to its GM, are: inadequate recovery vehicles, change/refresh rooms for officers, non-availability of zonal office, and non-availability of functional patrol vehicles.
He noted that the agency lacked signage required for speed limits and no parking on the highway.
Oduyoye further expressed concerns to the committee over the intrusion on the highway by on-street parking and the improper planning approval given to filling stations, and event centres.
According to him, the agency had a total staff strength of 4,239. While three officers had been dismissed, 18 had died from active service.
He continued, “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.
He listed, “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. Four crashes involved government vehicles.”
The LASTMA boss further divulged that while 2,069 casualties were recorded, 88 of them died. “60 were involved in fatal crashes. 1108 were serious crashes, while 594 were involved in minor crashes.”
Meanwhile, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other agencies the committee were the Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL), Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI), and the Lagos State Number Plate Production Authority.
Members of the committee are: Mr. Rasheed Makinde (Ifako Ijaye II); Mr. Ganiyu Okanlawon (Kosofe I); Mr Lanre Afinni (Lagos Island II).
