Emmanuel Thomas
April 28, 2015 – Not less than 289, 371 vehicles were impounded by the Lagos State Government in the last four years.
A breakdown of the figure shows that 81, 694 vehicles were impounded by the Lagos Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) while the remaining 207,677 vehicles were impounded by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa made the revelation at the annual ministerial press briefing in Lagos.
He said that the Lagos State Government will in a matter of days clampdown on unpainted vehicles operating as taxis and unregistered vehicles used for taxi operation in Lagos State.
He appealed to public and private estates in Lagos to grant access to operators of yellow buses adding that the operators are safer to deal with since the state government has information about their address and those who own them.
He said the state government will provide the information about the yellow buses wherever there is any infraction adding that it is safer to deal with them than private cab operators.
He said that the state government has been able to reduce death from 192 per year to maximum of six per year.
“We have saved about 465 lives since October 2012 to date. We have also prevented an average of 476 okada related injuries monthly and 5,712 yearly. By implication, we have prevented a total of 14,220 Okada accident related injuries since 2012”, he said.
He said the government has started noticing an increase in accident since January 2012, both in reported death cases and injuries.
“Specifically, injuries in okada related accidents have increased by 34% when compared with the fourth Quarter of 2014, our lowest ever with first quarter of 2015.
“This is largely due to the resurgence of Okada as public transportation on our roads with impunity most especially in the following local areas. Ikeja, Isolo, Apapa, Agege, Epe, Ijede, Shomolu/ Bariga, Ifako ijaiye/ Ojokoro, Ikorodu, Mushin, Badagry, Lagos Mainland, Ojodu, Ketu and ojota”, he said.
He noted that motor vehicle related accidents have also reduced since 2012 adding that in 2013, it was reduced by 28-31 percent, and in 2014 by 31-37 percent.
“The accident prone areas are Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry, Agbara, Surulere, Apapa, Mainland, Ijede, Ojodu and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway”, he said.
