By Olasunkanmi Akoni

LAGOS — The Lagos State Government, in collaboration with transport unions, has agreed on operational guidelines to support the reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

Under the arrangement, no commercial vehicles will operate or load passengers at parks and garages between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on the last Saturday of every month.

The resolution was reached during a strategic meeting involving the State Commissioners for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, and Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, alongside leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and other stakeholders.

Wahab said the directive requires transport operators to dedicate the sanitation hours to cleaning their homes and surroundings before resuming commercial activities. He added that the unions would set up internal task forces to enforce compliance among members.

He stressed that transport unions are expected to support government policies in areas where they operate, noting that initiatives such as placing waste bins in public buses remain key to promoting proper waste disposal among commuters.

The commissioner explained that the meeting became necessary due to the critical role of the informal transport sector, which accounts for over 70 percent of operators in the state, in ensuring the success of the sanitation programme.

“If we all agree that we want a cleaner Lagos, then we must cooperate to ensure the success of this initiative,” he said.

Wahab also urged union leaders to sensitise their members and commuters on the dangers of indiscriminate waste disposal, including dumping refuse on roads, medians, and drainage channels.

Speaking, Osiyemi called for stronger collaboration between the government and transport operators, urging both formal and informal sector players to take ownership of the initiative and ensure compliance.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), represented by Deputy State Secretary Comrade Kaojue Abolaji, assured that members would comply with the directive, stating that vehicles would only resume operations after 8:30 a.m. on sanitation days.

Other officials present at the meeting included the Special Adviser on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Engr. Mahamood Adegbite, and the Chairman of the Task Force on Environmental Offences, CSP Adetayo Akerele, among others.