By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Doyin Ibiwoye
LAGOS — Following the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Lagos State Government to owners of abandoned and broken down tankers and heavy duty vehicles along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway to vacate the road, men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, have removed over 25 trucks along the axis.

The combined team of armed taskforce and LASTMA men last Friday  impounded several trucks for flouting the state traffic rules.

The measure became necessary following the incessant traffic snarl caused by abandoned and broken down vehicles along the road

Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, who confirmed the arrest and the take off of the enforcement  told Vanguard that the total enforcement exercise would be sustained as long as possible.

He expressed government’s concern over the attitude of tanker drivers who have resisted all reasoning and appeal to allow for free flow of traffic along the road which has been made worse by the fast decaying infrastructure along the axis.

“As you can see now that traffic in that area is gradually moving, no traffic as most of the tankers have been removed and we will continue until we have a normal situation restored on the road.

“The combined team of armed taskforce and LASTMA men has been detailed to carry out the order without sparing anyone irrespective of status, class, religion or ethnic background. The enforcement is total,” Opeifa stated.

According to Opeifa, the offenders will be prosecuted according to the state traffic rules and regulations.
When Vanguard monitored the situation on Monday, it was observed that the Oshodi-Apapa inward road from Mile-2 to Tin-Can Port was free as motorists had free access on the axis but the other side of the expressway, Apapa-Oshodi bound road was a little bit congested due to an ongoing reconstruction work in the area, though it was moving considerably

It was gathered that most of the vehicles that were impounded during the exercise belonged to Nigeria Port Authority, NPA which formed over 60 percent of the total vehicles impounded so far.