LASTMA, STAKEHOLDERS PROFFER SOLUTION TO IKORODU GRIDLOCK

Lagos State Traffic management Authority (LASTMA) In continued effort to proffering sustainable solution to the perennial gridlock traffic gridlock on some major roads in the state on Thursday met with the stakeholders at Ikorodu as a critical step towards finding a lasting solution to Ikorodu roundabout traffic jam. The frequent traffic problem at the roundabout has become an impediment to free flow of traffic in the axis and environs with adverse effect on social and economic development of the Ikorodu area in particular and Lagos in general.
Speaking at the stakeholders meeting at the Ikorodu North Local Development Council, the general manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Mr. Bashir Braimah said the large turnout of stakeholders at the meeting was a sign that the current traffic jam bedevilling the Ikorodu roundabout with spill over to other major roads in the area is surmountable and people of the area are now ready to work for its solution. He traced the causes of the traffic gridlock at the roundabout to high vehicular and human density, motorists’ indiscipline, activity of traders, illegal motor parks, driving against traffic, disobedience of traffic law and officers and frequent breaking down of vehicles on the roads. He therefore urged transport unions, motorists, traditional and religious leaders at the occasion to take the message of traffic law voluntarily compliance to their various communities for the entire Ikorodu to be free of traffic gridlock.
The general manager assured them of the readiness and capacity of the agency to achieve seamless driving on the Lagos roads and Ikorodu in particular. According to Braimah, the agency has a robust disciplinary and complaint Unit where motorists and members of the public can lodge complain against erring traffic officers. He therefore called for voluntarily compliance with traffic law as panacea to traffic problem being experienced at the Ikorodu roundabout. According to him such compliance and cooperation with traffic officers and other relevant agencies by motorists and members of the public will solve traffic problem anywhere in the state.
In the same vein, the divisional police officer Sagamu road police station, Mr.Chris Adeyeri admonished motorists at Ikorodu to exhibit discipline and avoid picking and dropping of passengers at unauthorised places. He further called for relocation of tricycle operators from the roundabout and the local council to control activity of illegal traders at the roundabout for traffic to flow unhindered. In his contribution, the chairman of Ikorodu division of NURTW Otunba Waliu called for the provision of more garages, markets and attitudinal change of motorists to traffic matter and laws. He pledged the support and cooperation of NURTW members to the current government to make Ikorodu roundabout and environ free of traffic gridlock, as the current situation was not in the best interest of all the stakeholders.

The meeting was conveyed by LASTMA and attended by traditional and religious leaders, leadership of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers association (RTEAN) from Ikorodu, LAMATA, Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS), LAGBUS, Cab operators, LASTMA Traffic Mayors and Nigeria Police as a method of getting in-puts from stakeholders as part of the efforts to enlist public support to achieve free flow of traffic in Lagos state.
It would be recalled that the agency had earlier launched operation open hearts that took it to some religious houses in the state in order to win more converts for voluntarily compliance with the traffic law. And operation storm to retake Lagos roads from indiscipline motorists in order to restore orderliness and sanity on the roads.