FASHOLA BANS MOLUES FROM LAGOS ISLAND, BRIDGES

The Governor Babatunde Fashola-led Lagos State Government has banned the 911 buses better known as Molue from plying routes on Lagos Island, Lagos, South-west Nigeria.

The government also banned Molue from all bridges that link the Island, such as Third Mainland, Eko and Carter Brides.The buses were also prohibited from plying any of the Central Business District in Lagos. The state government said the decision was taken as part of determination to ensure adequate monitoring of the operations of commercial vehicles and compliance with traffic rules and regulations.

The General Manager, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Engr. Babatunde Edu made the revelation at a stakeholder’s meeting with the Branch Chairmen of the Lagos Urban Bus Owners Association of Nigeria,LUBON, the operators of molue busses in the State adding that the new directive became operative since 19 August, 2013.

“Though the Lagos State Government was supposed to have commenced enforcement last month, but being a responsive and responsible government which believes in enlightenment before enforcement, we therefore decided to shift the enforcement to 4th of this month,” he said.

Edu stated that LASTMA had been mandated to ensure strict directive and compliance and impound any such vehicles after 4 September, 2013 that was found to have flouted the directive.

The General Manager further said that Molue buses could however perform their operations in any other parts of the state aside the restricted areas, reiterating that government had not banned the operations of Molue in the State, but rather it had restricted their operations to areas like Orile, Iyana ipaja, Mile 2, Mile 12 among others and urged operators to voluntarily comply with the new directive.

While taking the operators through the prohibited routes, which included Iddo, Ebute Ero, Apongbon, Obalende, Idumota, CMS, among others, Edu appealed for cooperation and support of all the stakeholders.

Responding, the leader of the team, Engr. Taofeek Adesina commended the government for its effort to restore sanity and order in the state and therefore pledged the readiness of his union to support the new cause.