I fully support the fines.
They may be exhorbitant, yes.
But, if you abide by the Law, you won't have to fork out all that money.

As for folk who drive against traffic, they deserve to go to jail for longer than 20 days.
Back in '87, a sonofab1tch did just that, and ended up ploughing into my mom's car, killing her at age 46.

Seun:

Why should the owner be convicted for the offense if he or she is not the one driving? Stupid.

It makes perfect sense.

As the owner of a motor vehicle, you're responsible for its use.
Unless you can prove it was stolen, or driven without your consent, you're liable.

Siena:

It makes perfect sense.

As the owner of a motor vehicle, you're responsible for its use.
Unless you can prove it was stolen, or driven without your consent, you're liable.

Ditto

i feel d prices are OUTRAGIOUS y not limit it to like 50k?

yemmydavid:

i feel d prices are OUTRAGIOUS y not limit it to like 50k?

How much will you pay for your life, my friend!!!

There is a reason why it's called "ONE WAY".

If you or someone you love has been involved in a head on collision with some fool driving on the wrong side of the road, maybe then you will see the big picture.

But why are you worried if you no dey do am e no concern you!!!

the new fines impose by the lagos state government to me is ridiculous. i see it as another means to enrich certain people. how much does a commercial vehicle make a day? why is government interested in punshing nigerians. how many police vehicle who drive against traffic as being arrested. this is not the solution to our problems. we need government to address the issue of poverty rather than coming up with some ridiculous fine against nigerians.

toskom:

the new fines impose by the lagos state government to me is ridiculous. i see it as another means to enrich certain people. how much does a commercial vehicle make a day? why is government interested in punshing nigerians. how many police vehicle who drive against traffic as being arrested. this is not the solution to our problems. we need government to address the issue of poverty rather than coming up with some ridiculous fine against nigerians.

Point of correction, toskom, the fines are not applicable to everyone. They are only applicable to individuals who break the laws. If you are not one of such people then there is no problem!!!

And for your information, the Nigeria Police is one of the best forces you can get (considering their peculiar circumstances). You don't know what is a police state until you travel out of the country and then you go know say police pass police. But thats a story for another thread

Siena:

I fully support the fines.
They may be exhorbitant, yes.
But, if you abide by the Law, you won't have to fork out all that money.

As for folk who drive against traffic, they deserve to go to jail for longer than 20 days.
Back in '87, a sonofab1tch did just that, and ended up ploughing into my mom's car, killing her at age 46.

Siena am sorry to hear about your Mum, very sad indeed several years after it seems we are yet to learn any lesson with the number of people opposing the fine, i just hope Lagos state step up with more laws and order.

good laws

i just hope Lagos state step up with more laws and order.

More laws and order have just been released again, check your weekend paper. . . and this got to do with traders and buyers of wares on the street, pedestrian bridges, etc. The fine is N5,000 for buyers or 3 months imprisonment.

Now, can someone, among those criticising the law, suggest another better way of tackling ''one way" driving in Lagos!

Basically, the government is only trying to deter people from driving "one way" with that fine. If you are aware of what the price is, when you drive "one way", then you'll ''borrow'' yourself some senses. The truth of the matter is that, even the rich will not find it too easy to part with N250k. Come to think of it, the elite don't actually disobey traffic laws.

Just like any other law, enforcement is necessary, and by the time a few are used as scape goat, the news will go round and the first step to tackling traffic congestation in Lagos has been achieved.

They can create more jobs by educating their agents better.

The provlem wid LASG is that at 1st they are serious, lter they become lax

Yes, i support the law when i saw in the papers, come to think of it, i almost lost my mum to a one way accident.

but what i hate about this is when those stupid police officers and lastma will begin to fill their pocket day in day out.

imagine what happened to me the other day at VI, i was on my way to MWEB Office (Near the beach) and coming out from Nitel and one stupid motorist forced me out of my lane in order not to avoid an accident i obliged but realised that i was suppose to be on the long queue going under the bridge, i then went to join the lane in front, suddenly two lastman men came running towards me, belive me i for fit run but i was thinkin is like Ikeja, where i drive everyday that maybe after giving them one thousand, they will leave me alone.

Dey there, they charged me with all sort of fine at the end, i hide 15k at my back pocket and only showed them 10k, they took 8k out of the 10k.

Now what baffles me is that, they saw me when i avoided the other motorist, are they not suppose to help and beside what happen else where is when you join traffic like that, u must keep moving on ur former lane, they will force u out to continue from the lane u were coming from, even if it is not you intended destination.

So just imagine how much them go chop when it comes to this 250,000.00 fine

What was funny about the whole incident is that, they were saying i should go to the nearest ATM and withdraw 30k to give to them, or we will go to their office at Simpsons, you know more like a threat.

I told them i didnt have money in the ATM, they kept insisting, meaning thats what they do to motorist, them don know say people get money for ATM.

const6:

Yes, i support the law when i saw in the papers, come to think of it, i almost lost my mum to a one way accident.

but what i hate about this is when those stupid police officers and lastma will begin to fill their pocket day in day out.

imagine what happened to me the other day at VI, i was on my way to MWEB Office (Near the beach) and coming out from Nitel and one stupid motorist forced me out of my lane in order not to avoid an accident i obliged but realised that i was suppose to be on the long queue going under the bridge, i then went to join the lane in front, suddenly two lastman men came running towards me, believe me i for fit run but i was thinkin is like Ikeja, where i drive everyday that maybe after giving them one thousand, they will leave me alone.

Dey there, they charged me with all sort of fine at the end, i hide 15k at my back pocket and only showed them 10k, they took 8k out of the 10k.

Now what baffles me is that, they saw me when i avoided the other motorist, are they not suppose to help and beside what happen else where is when you join traffic like that, u must keep moving on your former lane, they will force u out to continue from the lane u were coming from, even if it is not you intended destination.

So just imagine how much them go chop when it comes to this 250,000.00 fine

You see the problem. So you ended up bribing them.

And since no one will stop them, they will continue extorting money. It takes only one person to say NO!!! Why did you bribe them. Surely they are other avenues. If you feel you had a legitimate reason to break the law, you could have taken them to court!!!

You must have heard that the law is an ass.

Sorry about your experience but I regret to say that you be real law breaker as you even know how its done in Ikeja!!! Make you hold your cheque book if ATM no dey work. Cos now, settlement go be like 150K.

You are on your own ooo!!!

corruption don kill us all

I dont agree that making Lagosians part with such ridiculous amount of money is the best way to curb these excesses. Any typical Lagos driver will agree with me that there are situations where going againt traffic is unavoidable. I have been driving on Lagos roads for over 15 years and have had to take 'one way' on some occasions. I didnt do it because I just wanted to, but I was faced with situations which offered no other option.
Like has been mentioned on several posts, policemen and other traffic officials including LASTMA intentionally set traps for drivers to fall right in. I was driving somewhere in Mushin the other day when I drove into a massive road block, there was obviously no other way but the 'trap' way so I took it; like a bolt from the sky, traffic officials ran out of there hiding places in all directions to grab the unfortunate prey 'Me'.
Need I also talk about bad and unmotorable roads that make us take alternative routes or the fact that some of the roads in Lagos can be confusing unless there are road signs. unfortunately there are no road signs, the few we had on the roads have been removed by malicious traffic officials who would rather have innocent drivers break traffic rules.
let us not also forget that there are sacred cows in Lagos who are allowed to break traffic rules. All you need is a uniform of any colour and you can break the rules.

U know its very easy for some pple to say 'the laws are in order' because u live outside the country and enjoy the luxury of traffic signs,

Do u know a first-timer cant drive in Lagos without 'breaking the law'?

Do u know that somewhere in Shasha area, a particular road is[b] two-way drive [/b] from morning till 3pm and after 3pm it becomes one-way? and there are several of them like that in Lagos!

fadson:

You know its very easy for some people to say 'the laws are in order' because u live outside the country and enjoy the luxury of traffic signs,

Do u know a first-timer can't drive in Lagos without 'breaking the law'?

Do u know that somewhere in Shasha area, a particular road is[b] two-way drive [/b] from morning till 3pm and after 3pm it becomes one-way? and there are several of them like that in Lagos!

Didn't some wise fellow say once that ignorance of the law is not an excuse for breaking the law.

fadson:

You know its very easy for some people to say 'the laws are in order' because u live outside the country and enjoy the luxury of traffic signs,

Do u know a first-timer can't drive in Lagos without 'breaking the law'?

Do u know that somewhere in Shasha area, a particular road is[b] two-way drive [/b] from morning till 3pm and after 3pm it becomes one-way? and there are several of them like that in Lagos!

I also know that in civilzed societies laws are clearly writen and spelt out. There is no part of Lagos traffic laws or rules that states a road should become one-way drive from 3pm neither is there a sign to indicate that. Even GOD the first creator of law wrote his on a TABLET.

fotodaddy, i agree with the purpose of government but to me this is strangulation. i'm so sure the lasma and police officials will be very happy because this is an avenue to suck the milk out of there victims. laws are meant to correct not strangulate. yes, government want to reduce driving aginst traffic but the fine is just too outrageous. go to orile bus stop at 8:00pm and see how police officers extort money from commercial vehicle. there are other punitive measure not this one. i can tell that in the next one year the problem of driving against traffic will still be there. let government address the problem first then we will get the desired result.

toskom

what is d problem then ?

They are crazy to make such laws. They don't have your interest but to enrich themselves. The present Lagos State government has been busy since inception making things difficult for Nigerians living in Lagos. They were busy demolishing structures without making provision for those poor parents and youths who have people they take care. Now, what stops them from putting a relatively fine that can be paid without selling all you have.

Only BRT with less than 100 Buses occupied one straight lane, leaving millions of vehicles with 2 lanes, yet they punish any defaulter with a heavy fine that tries to avoid traffic hold-up and divert to BRT lane. Vehicles will queue-up on traffic and people sweating and suffering while BRT lane is free with no vehicle but no one dares to drive on that lane.

Let them come up with laws that will provide employment and bring food to the table of every Lagosian. You can't hear this kind of news except a mere propaganda.

zigam:

They are crazy to make such laws. They don't have your interest but to enrich themselves. The present Lagos State government has been busy since inception making things difficult for Nigerians living in Lagos. They were busy demolishing structures without making provision for those poor parents and youths who have people they take care. Now, what stops them from putting a relatively fine that can be paid without selling all you have.

Only BRT with less than 100 Buses occupied one straight lane, leaving millions of vehicles with 2 lanes, yet they punish any defaulter with a heavy fine that tries to avoid traffic hold-up and divert to BRT lane. Vehicles will queue-up on traffic and people sweating and suffering while BRT lane is free with no vehicle but no one dares to drive on that lane.

Let them come up with laws that will provide employment and bring food to the table of every Lagosian. You can't hear this kind of news except a mere propaganda.

Whatever

The law is in place and if you get 2 head make you drive one way!!!

little wonder nigeriasn are lawbreakers in foreign nations

Fine is the best way to clean up the traffic in Lagos.

Go! Fashola!

Mo wa lehin re!

So the Trailer that packed on the road without triangular sign yesternight on the bridge just before Apongbo would still pay N50k after killing someone?, Also na Govt go just collect the pay or to compensate the families of the diseased?

It is laudable to have a law to check the excesses of the lagos drivers but it it also expedient to make such laws realistic. When setting goals, there is a need to make them challenging but achievable. I think same applies to laws or rules. Am afraid this law is not achievable.

How many kabukabu can afford 250,00? They will rather abandon the vehicle and go and buy anew one, afterall how much is a tokunboh car. Just add 150,000 to 250,000 and you will buy a tokunboh.

Besides, i think they have just made the policemen more greedy. It means they will now ask for more egunje. Bribe. Where they are collecting 1,000 for offences before, they will now demand 5,000. They also open room for vehicle confiscation when people cant afford the fine. That means some people will also have the opportunity to steal the confiscated vehicles, or sell it a t a ridiculous price to their relatives as the customs do these days.

That law is ridiculous, they should amend the fines, especially the ones that even bothers on the passengers. Or do they wan pSSENGERS TO BE JUMPING DOWN FROM THE VEHICLES WHEN THE DRIVERS MISBEHAVE? oR WONT THE DRIVER STOP BEFORE THEY WILL DISEMBARK?

jintujinta:

It is laudable to have a law to check the excesses of the lagos drivers but it it also expedient to make such laws realistic. When setting goals, there is a need to make them challenging but achievable. I think same applies to laws or rules. Am afraid this law is not achievable.

ol boy, you are missing the point. The aim of the fine is not for people to pay it na!!! This is not revenue generation na!!!

The aim is for it to act as a deterent!!! So if you know that the concequencies are so severe, then perhaps that will make you think twice about breaking the law!!!

let wait and see what becomes of the law. we hope there will be more sensibility on our road.

Ignorance of the law is not the basis for defence. However, that does not preclude the burden and obligation of government to inform the citizenry of the law.

I wish to presume that these are state bye laws in the first instance.

These laws are spatially specific, tangible in that they are location and area determined. The normal and reasonable course of justice requires a duty to inform on the part of the local authority.

In the UK , I have contested in my favour parking tickets, wheel clamping and speeding claims on the basis of no information is misinformation. This is because the traffic law beyond the general principles has a statutory obligation in terms of area specifics to inform, failure to do so pre-empts your ability to enforce and as a consequence the legality of the law in itself becomes possibly contentious.

Lagos level, continuously I see these guys hanging around like vultures, there are no signs in most cases and they expect you not to know, that’s why they are standing there, to chop.

On the other issue of ownership of a motor vehicle makes you liable is not exactly true. The onus is on the law to present the driver who has broken the law, in the UK the question I usually ask is present your evidence. That’s why Ferguson, Beckham and quite a few others got away with speeding convictions and out of good citizenry paid the fines.

In Nigeria my suspicion is that some of those laws are unlawful but no one is bothered to contest it at court under law you cannot be held liable for the actions of another person.

Can the Naija lawyers speak up please as I am not so privileged, I also have had the good fortune to have been accosted in Lagos so i am not a JJC.