The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has issued a warning to motorists, religious institutions, and event organisers to avoid indiscriminate road parking and the blocking of access roads during crossover night services across the state.
The LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed the warning in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to Taofiq, the warning, issued by the agency’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, was necessary due to the anticipated surge in vehicular movement during the crossover night.
He noted that while the agency would continue to recognise the right of residents to religious practices, such activities must not be detrimental to the convenience of other road users.
He added that motorists must respect the rights of other road users to free movement.
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Taofiq stated, “While acknowledging the cultural, religious, and communal importance of these activities, LASTMA strongly condemns the abuse of public road infrastructure through its conversion into improvised parking spaces or informal event venues, describing such acts as egregious violations of traffic regulations with far-reaching implications for public safety, emergency response, and urban mobility.
“Bakare-Oki therefore admonished motorists to refrain from abandoning vehicles on carriageways, road shoulders, medians, pedestrian walkways, and critical access corridors leading to worship centres and social hubs.
“He equally cautioned organisers and participants of carnivals, street parties, and other festive activities against blocking highways, inner roads, or access routes without lawful authorisation and prior coordination with relevant government authorities.”
Stressing the measures the agency was adopting to manage the anticipated traffic challenges, Taofiq noted that “LASTMA has activated a reinforced traffic management, monitoring, and enforcement framework for crossover night.”
He added that a corps of trained officers, reinforced by rapid response units and surveillance teams, had been positioned to identify flashpoints and ensure seamless movement.
He urged religious institutions, market leaderships, club operators, and event organisers to deploy internal traffic control mechanisms to prevent traffic disruptions in their areas while seeking residents’ cooperation with traffic managers.
“Collective compliance remains indispensable to the realisation of a peaceful, orderly, and seamlessly managed crossover night across Lagos State.
“LASTMA reiterates its unwavering commitment to its statutory mandate of safeguarding lives, maintaining public order on the roads, and ensuring efficient traffic movement across the metropolis,” Taofiq concluded.