LASTMA Impounds 155 Vehicles as Lagos Intensifies Crackdown on Illegal Garages, Roadside Shanties
“Lagos State Government reinforces its zero-tolerance stance on illegal garages and roadside shanties as LASTMA impounds 155 vehicles in a major enforcement operation to restore order, enhance mobility, and ensure a safer, cleaner Lagos ahead of the festive season.”
In a bold and far-reaching enforcement operation aimed at restoring metropolitan order and ensuring the free flow of traffic across Lagos, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has intensified its clampdown on all forms of illegal roadside activities.
The agency impounded 155 vehicles, including tricycles and heavily loaded trucks, for operating unauthorized garages and parks that have caused major traffic disruptions across the Lagos Island axis, the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) reports.
The comprehensive operation, supervised by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, strategically targeted unlawful garages, makeshift shanties, and informal trading clusters that have become epicentres of gridlock, environmental degradation, and insecurity for both residents and commuters.
Hon. Giwa explained that the ongoing impoundment exercise aligns with LASTMA’s newly reinforced 24-hour traffic management and control mandate. He noted that it forms a critical part of the Lagos State Government’s broader policy framework to enhance mobility, promote compliance, and ensure total traffic sanity ahead of the festive season.
He reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s administration to uphold discipline, law, and order across all transport corridors through strict enforcement of traffic regulations and a zero-tolerance approach to all infractions.
“Illegal garages, unregulated markets, and roadside shanties have persistently undermined our collective aspiration for a smooth and orderly traffic system in Lagos,” Hon. Giwa declared. “These impoundments send a strong and unequivocal message that the State Government will no longer condone any unlawful activity capable of disrupting public order or endangering lives and property.”
He emphasized that the primary objective of the enforcement campaign is to create a safe, habitable, and aesthetically organized city for motorists and pedestrians while restoring discipline and civility to critical traffic corridors.
The operation covered key flashpoints including Ebute-Ero, Oke-Arin Market, Odofin Street, Elegbata, and Marina (Oando Under Bridge)—areas long identified as chronic choke points caused by unauthorized parking, indiscriminate trading, and the proliferation of makeshift garages.
Authorities noted that these illegal activities not only obstruct traffic flow but also pose serious safety hazards to pedestrians and legitimate business owners within the vicinity. Consequently, LASTMA’s intervention seeks to dismantle these obstructions, improve traffic flow, and enhance the overall commuting experience across Lagos Island and adjoining routes.
Residents and business owners in the affected areas commended the Lagos State Government’s decisive action, describing it as “a timely and necessary move toward reclaiming the city’s aesthetics, restoring order, and ensuring the safety of all road users.”
Hon. Giwa assured that the exercise would be sustained, uncompromising, and progressively extended to other parts of the state where similar illegalities persist. He urged motorists, traders, and transport operators to strictly comply with traffic and environmental regulations, stressing that voluntary compliance remains the most effective way to achieve a functional and orderly transport system.
He further enjoined motorists to take civic responsibility for maintaining public roads by promptly reporting broken-down or abandoned vehicles, trailers, or trucks to LASTMA via the toll-free hotline: 0810000527862.
“The ultimate vision of the Lagos State Government is to bequeath to its residents a safer, cleaner, and more livable city,” Hon. Giwa concluded. “Adherence to traffic regulations is not just a legal necessity but a shared civic duty essential to achieving this common goal.”
Adebayo Taofiq
Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA
