LASTMA records 256 casualties in Lagos

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) reported 256 road casualties in the state between January and June 2024.

The LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, verified this information in a statement released to the press on Sunday.

The authority reported 265 casualties in the first six months of the year, and additionally, a total of 9,370 vehicles were impounded for alleged traffic violations, breaking down into 3,034 private vehicles, 1,849 cars, 549 buses, 636 Sports Utility Vehicles, and other violations.

He said, “Two hundred and fifty-six casualties were recorded during this period. In the last six months, it has been a mix of the good, bad, and ugly, but we have managed to overcome many challenges, particularly in training and retraining our personnel. We have successfully trained 2,000 of our staff members, both internally and externally,”.

Bakare also spoke on the efforts of the agency in ensuring orderliness on roads by clearing vehicles parked indiscriminately to reduce congestion, as he emphasised the progress on the Apapa Port route.

“Apart from the Apapa corridor and Iyana-Ipaja, we also cleared areas like Idumota, Apogbon, CMS, and the Lekki-Ajah area, improving the level of orderliness in these areas. We have made significant strides across the five divisions in Lagos in terms of enforcement, and this effort is ongoing.”

“We are committed to improving travel time for Lagos residents, especially during peak periods,” he said.

Bakare-Oki, the General Manager of LASTMA, reassured Lagos drivers that the authority is dedicated to enhancing traffic management in the state, having deployed over 2,000 pieces of equipment to facilitate smooth traffic flow.

He also appealed to motorists to cooperate by obeying traffic regulations and showing respect to traffic officers, who work tirelessly to enforce these laws and ensure safety on the roads.