The enforcement operation, which began on Thursday, led to the impoundment of no fewer than 235 vehicles for various violations of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has launched a comprehensive statewide clean-up enforcement campaign to restore traffic order and urban decency across the Lagos metropolis.

The enforcement operation, which began on Thursday, led to the impoundment of no fewer than 235 vehicles for various violations of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018.

Offences ranged from unlawful encroachment on pedestrian pathways and obstruction of vehicular movement to illegal terminal operations and reckless disregard for traffic regulations.

According to a press statement signed by Adebayo Taofiq, Director of the Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, the vehicles impounded include 38 private cars, 156 painted commercial buses (Danfo), 19 minibuses/tricycles, 5 haulage trucks, and 17 inter-state passenger buses.

The wide-reaching enforcement effort is being coordinated under the leadership of LASTMA General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, with initial deployments targeting high-density traffic corridors such as Oyingbo, Iddo, Eja-Lonibu, Adeniji Adele, Sabo, Jibowu (Inter-State Terminal), and Oshodi.

In one “particularly egregious episode,” LASTMA officials intercepted five articulated trucks atop the Adeniji Adele Bridge, which were allegedly offloading livestock—including rams and cows—as well as abattoir waste, in flagrant violation of sanitation laws and at great risk to public safety and infrastructure integrity. The drivers of the trucks are reportedly facing imminent judicial proceedings.

Speaking on the operation, Mr. Bakare-Oki stated, “LASTMA is now operating under a strict zero-tolerance mandate against traffic infractions. All impounded vehicles will be promptly arraigned before the Lagos State Mobile Court for prosecution. The era of impunity on our roads is over.”

He added that the initiative is not targeted at any group or commercial interest but is aimed at correcting a longstanding culture of indiscipline:

“This operation is not an attack on any demographic or commercial interest; it is an overdue rectification of systemic dysfunction. We call upon every road user to embrace this moment as an invitation to collective civic renewal,” he said.

The ongoing crackdown is being carried out under the directive of Sola Giwa, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, as part of a broader effort to reclaim public roadways from abuse and restore civic order.

Mr. Bakare-Oki further warned motorists, saying, “Any vehicle found engaging in illegal parking, obstructing traffic flow, or violating directional rules (e.g., one-way driving) will henceforth be summarily impounded.

“The Authority is fully committed to deploying the full spectrum of legal, operational, and digital surveillance tools to ensure orderliness across the State’s expansive road network.”

He reiterated that the campaign is integral to the Lagos State Government’s urban regeneration initiative, which aims to improve quality of life, raise the livability index, and instil a sustainable culture of traffic compliance and environmental responsibility.