LASTMA impounds 27 Danfo, private vehicles for traffic violations

By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has impounded no fewer than 27 commercial buses, popularly known as Danfo, alongside some private vehicles, for violating traffic rules and safety standards across the state.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, disclosed this during a statewide enforcement operation targeted at curbing vehicular overloading and improving road safety.
According to him, the early-morning operation followed repeated public warnings and sensitisation campaigns. The affected vehicles were found to be in clear breach of prescribed loading limits and other safety regulations.
Bakare-Oki said the exercise was prompted by growing concerns over the dangers posed by overloaded vehicles on major highways and densely trafficked inner-city roads.
“Field assessments by LASTMA enforcement officers revealed a disturbing pattern in which motorists—particularly commercial drivers—recklessly overload their vehicles with assorted goods, including bulky items and perishables, stored indiscriminately in luggage compartments and precariously mounted on vehicle roofs,” he said.
He noted that such practices obstruct rear visibility, destabilise vehicles and significantly impair drivers’ situational awareness, especially during overtaking, thereby increasing the risk of avoidable road crashes.
Describing vehicular overloading as a serious violation of Lagos State traffic laws, Bakare-Oki warned that it poses grave danger not only to occupants of offending vehicles but also to other road users.
He condemned what he termed an “unsightly and perilous spectacle” of commercial buses, private cars and articulated vehicles overloaded with goods and scrap metals in blatant disregard for public safety.
Reaffirming the agency’s zero-tolerance policy on traffic infractions, Bakare-Oki said enforcement against offenders would remain sustained, intensified and uncompromising.
He urged motorists to strictly comply with stipulated loading capacities, ensure unobstructed visibility at all times and prioritise vehicle roadworthiness.
“The agency remains resolute in discharging its statutory mandate to enforce traffic laws professionally, equitably and without prejudice, in line with the Lagos State Government’s commitment to a safe, orderly and efficient transportation system,” he said.
Bakare-Oki also called on the public to report any vehicles violating loading regulations through LASTMA’s toll-free hotline: 0800-005-27862, to enable swift enforcement and corrective action.

The post LASTMA impounds 27 Danfo, private vehicles for traffic violations appeared first on Vanguard News.