The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has impounded 27 commercial and private vehicles for violating prescribed loading regulations and persistently flouting road safety standards across the state.
The enforcement followed an early-morning operation conducted after repeated public warnings and sensitisation campaigns by LASTMA, aimed at curbing the dangerous practice of vehicular overloading on Lagos roads.
The development was disclosed by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Taofiq Adebayo, in a statement issued on Thursday.
Adebayo said the exercise formed part of a far-reaching statewide enforcement initiative designed to enhance road safety and ensure strict compliance with existing traffic laws.
According to him, the operation was carried out in line with the directive of the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, following growing concerns over the dangers posed by overloaded vehicles on major highways and inner-city routes.
He explained that field assessments by LASTMA officers revealed a disturbing pattern in which motorists, particularly operators of commercial vehicles, recklessly overload their vehicles with assorted goods, including bulky items and perishable commodities, stored inside luggage compartments and precariously mounted on vehicle roofs.
Adebayo noted that such unsafe practices obstruct rear visibility, compromise vehicle stability and significantly impair drivers’ awareness of surrounding traffic, especially during overtaking manoeuvres, thereby increasing the likelihood of avoidable road crashes.
Describing the trend as “an unsightly and perilous spectacle,” he stressed that vehicular overloading constitutes a serious violation of Lagos State traffic laws, endangering not only the occupants of offending vehicles but also other road users.
He reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance stance on traffic infractions that threaten lives and property, warning that enforcement actions against defaulters would remain sustained, intensified and uncompromising.
LASTMA urged all motorists to adhere strictly to stipulated loading capacities, maintain unobstructed visibility and prioritise roadworthiness in their daily operations, reaffirming its commitment to enforcing traffic laws professionally, fairly and without prejudice.
The agency also called on members of the public to report any commercial or private vehicles found violating loading regulations via its toll-free hotline 0800-005-27862, to enable swift intervention and corrective action.
