The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has impounded no fewer than 155 vehicles, including tricycles and heavy-duty trucks, during a major enforcement operation against illegal garages and roadside parks across Lagos Island.
The operation, which targeted notorious traffic flashpoints such as Ebute-Ero, Oke-Arin Market, Odofin Street, Elegbata, and Marina (Oando Under Bridge), was supervised by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa.
According to Giwa, the clampdown is part of the state government’s renewed drive to restore sanity on Lagos roads, eliminate gridlock, and enforce Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s zero-tolerance policy against street trading, shanties, and roadside encroachments.
He said the exercise falls under LASTMA’s newly reinforced 24-hour traffic control mandate, aimed at ensuring free vehicular movement and enhancing public safety as the festive season approaches.
“Illegal garages, unregulated markets, and roadside shanties have consistently undermined the smooth flow of traffic and the city’s urban order,” Giwa stated. “These impoundments send a clear message that the Lagos State Government will no longer condone any act that disrupts public order or endangers lives and property.”
He explained that the objective of the operation is not just punitive but corrective—intended to create a safe, clean, and visually organized environment for both motorists and pedestrians.
The crackdown also sought to dismantle illegal structures that have become breeding grounds for traffic jams, environmental pollution, and petty crimes. Authorities noted that many of these areas had become notorious for lawlessness, with traders and transport operators converting public spaces into makeshift garages and markets.
Residents and traders in the affected corridors hailed the move, describing it as long overdue. They praised the Sanwo-Olu administration for its firm resolve to reclaim public spaces and restore discipline to the city’s transportation system.
Hon. Giwa assured that the operation would continue across other parts of the metropolis until full compliance is achieved. He also urged motorists and traders to obey traffic and environmental laws, warning that violators would face the full weight of the law.
“Voluntary compliance is the best way forward,” he said. “Our vision is to make Lagos a safer, cleaner, and more livable city. Every motorist must see adherence to traffic laws not just as a duty to the state, but as a civic responsibility.”
He further encouraged residents to report broken-down or abandoned vehicles obstructing traffic through LASTMA’s emergency hotlines — 0810000527862.
The Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, reaffirmed that the agency would sustain its enforcement drive to keep Lagos roads free from obstruction and ensure seamless traffic flow across the city.
LASTMA Seizes 155 Vehicles in Massive Crackdown on Illegal Garages, Roadside Parks
