The new Lagos traffic law

ON Thursday, August 2, 2012, the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, signed the Lagos Road Traffic Bill into law. He said it was in a bid to ensure safety and orderly flow of traffic in the state.

He reeled out statistics to illustrate the alarming rise in accident rates resulting in injuries and death.

The new law spells out the offences and punishments attached. For instance, trailers (apart from fuel tankers and long buses) are now prohibited from plying the roads between 6.00 a.m. and 9.00 p.m. Commercial motorcycle operators are not to ply major trunks, such as Ikorodu Road, Funsho Williams Avenue, Apapa-Oshodi Express, Lagos-Badagry and Lekki-Epe Express.

Motorists are also forbidden to make phone calls, eat, count money or engage in “other dangerous activities,” while on the wheel. Pedestrians are forbidden to cross the expressways. They are now to compulsorily use the pedestrian bridges.

Violation of these laws attracts between N30,000 and N50,000 fines or imprisonment up to three years.

Predictably, many commentators have criticised the law as being “draconian.” We share the reservations of those, who feel that sending a traffic offender to three years in prison is way over the roof.

But at the same time, we believe any citizen, who is willing to obey the laws of the land will have nothing to fear. Only those bent on maintaining the “jungle city” reputation of Lagos have cause to worry.

But those who, like the state government, believe that the rise of Lagos to a mega city status calls for more discipline and adherence to safety standards will welcome the measures as we do.

The real problem, however, is whether the state government has the capacity to implement this law. Does it have the disciplined personnel to instil discipline on erring members of the public? Fears are being expressed that the track record of law enforcement agencies like the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have not been enviable. Laws like the ban on commercial motorcycles use of the highways and the wearing of crash helmet failed due to poor implementation.

Secondly, rotten eggs in LASTMA capitalise on these laws to victimise citizens through corrupt entrapment tactics for selfish profit.

LASTMA officials permit drivers of their own vehicles to violate the law, and military and police officers harass officials bent on implementing the law. What new safeguards has the state government come up with to ensure that this new law works?

Massive public enlightenment must be mounted on all media, and government alone should not be left to do it. The law is in our collective interest. Let us give it a chance.

Truck owners in the country have expressed fear that the new traffic law introduced by Lagos State Government will leave them at the mercy of armed robbers, who will attack their trucks at night.

The truck owners, who assessed the implication of the restriction order on their activities in Lagos, condemned the new law. They maintained that the exemption of fuel tankers from the restriction order indicates that most of the fuel tankers belonged to those in power.

They also noted that the law, which prescribed N50,000 fine and the impounding of trucks plying the roads during the day, was another way of extorting them. They  said the policy would lead to congestion in the ports as many trucks will not be able to cope with the volume of cargo coming into the ports.

President of Association of Maritime Truck Owners, AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, told Vanguard that the association would make effort to dialogue with the state government to resolve the issue.

He added that the road traffic law was capable of sending most of the truck owners out of business as the law was not favourable to them and might expose truck drivers to danger at night.

Ogungbemi called on the state government to rescind the decision considering its negative impact on the economy of the nation.

Also speaking, Chief Eneh, Vice Chairman of Joint Council of Trucks, said the law was not acceptable to them, adding that they would seek legal means to stop the government from implementing same as a lot of workers in trucking industry would lose their jobs.

Another stakeholder, Mr. Ibrahim Omotayo, said the law was not bad, as its workability remained the major problem as there are no parking spaces, the roads are bad and the security situation leaves much to be desired.