Moses Akaigwe
In order to enhance free flow of traffic in the metropolis, the Lagos State Government has inaugurated a 10-member ad-hoc committee charged with the task of addressing the issue of vehicles abandonment on highways and major streets.
Commissioner for Transportation, Frederic Oladeinde, who performed the inauguration, urged them to see their appointments as call to duty. He advised them to be honest in the discharge of their duties, and see their appointments as an opportunity to assist the state government to address the issue of constant traffic gridlocks in Lagos.
He assured the committee that the ministry would further train them on how to do the job in the most civil way while advising that they should be guided by the regulations and their terms of reference, adding that government intention for inaugurating the Committee was to improve on traffic situation in the state and not to punish anyone.
While spelling out the committee’s terms of reference, Oladeinde took time to explain conditions upon which any vehicle could be declared and treated as an abandoned vehicle.
These include; vehicles which had been left unattended to or stationery for a period of time, any vehicle parked upon or within 10 feet of the travelled portion of the high ways; any vehicle parked in the frontage of a private property in excess of seven days or in a public property for more than 30 days without being attended to.
Among their terms of reference which the commissioner further stated are; identification of the abandoned vehicles where they were parked and subsequently, reporting such to the authority, recording the locations of the vehicles, street names, mode and make of the vehicles, vehicle particulars including photographs and other convincing evidence about the vehicles and pasting of removal notifications on such vehicles.
Oladeinde however explained to them that a vehicle or equipment shall not constitute an abandonment, if such equipment or vehicle are used or to be used in construction sites or in the operation or maintenance of highways or public utilities, facilities or left in a manner that does not interfere with normal vehicular movement.
Some of the newly inaugurated Committee includes: Henry Babatunde Ige, Chairman of the committee, Ismail Monsuru Akinloye and Sola Sometan, Speechee Onakoya, Benson Muiz Adedeji, Olorunkemi Ademisere and Mr. Oluwatoyin Tiamiyu, representing Ministry of Transportation.
Others members are Olusegun Ismail Odusote representing LASTMA, Adeshola Opemipo, representing Vehicle Inspection Service, and Nuhman Olalekan Edet, who will serve as the Secretary of the committee.