Lagos State House of Assembly has passed a bill for a law to repeal and re-enact the road traffic law and to make provisions for road traffic and vehicle inspection in Lagos into law for Governor Babatunde Fashola’s assent.

The new amended traffic law which was passed last Thursday, stipulates that driving in a direction prohibited by the road traffic law, that is driving against traffic, popularly known as one way driving now attracts a 3-year jail term, while a first offender gets one year term and the vehicle forfeited to the state government.

Also, bullion vans are not exempted from the law as any bullion van driven in a direction prohibited by the road traffic law will be forfeited, while abandoned vehicle on highway will be fined N50,000.00 or three years imprisonment, or both fine and imprisonment.

The bill which emanated from the executive arm is aimed at regulating vehicular movement and to impose sanctions on any erring vehicle operator in the state.

Lawmakers had carefully examined the bill in June during a public hearing where all stakeholders were invited and their input and memoranda were considered at the committee stage.

According to schedule (1) section (2) of traffic offences and penalties it stated that riding a motor-cycle against traffic and riding on the kerb, median or road setbacks, 1st time offender will attract N20,000.00, subsequent offender N30,000.00 or the rider’s motor-cycle will be impounded.

Smoking while driving will attract N20,000.00, failure to give way to traffic on the left at a roundabout N20,000.00, disobeying traffic control will be N20,000.00 violation of route by commercial vehicles will attract N20,000.00. Riding motor-cycle without crash helmet for rider and passenger will attract N20,000: 00 or 3years imprisonment or both.

The law also prohibited under aged person, under 18yrs old, riding a motorcycle with fine of N20,000.00.
Operating a motor-cycle in a restricted area on or prohibited route will be fined N20,000.00 or his motor-cycle impounded.

In schedule II, section (4) or prohibited route for motorcycle and tricycle on major highways in Lagos. The highways are Lagos Ibadan expressway, Apapa Oshodi, Oworonshoki, Lagos Ikorodu, Lagos-Abeokuta, Babangida Boulevarde way, others are Eti-Osa Lekki Epe expressway, Funsho Williams Avenue, Agege motor road and Eti-Osa Lekki coastal road.

Section (4) of the bill stipulates vehicle inspection offences and penalties which includes driving without valid driver’s license. Such offender would have his vehicle impounded. Learner driver without permit will attract N20,000.00, driving with fake number plate 1st offender N20,000.00 and 6 months imprisonment or both. Fashola is expected to sign the bill into law soon.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/07/3-year-jail-term-awaits-one-way-traffic-offenders-in-lagos/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

Abegi! Una own too much self

Eti-Osa Lekki coastal road

They need a traffic ticket attorney like this one http://myduiflorida.com

War against indiscipline.Idaiagbon comes to mind when laws like this are initiated.People got to behave rationally in conformity,including them fcking law givers that expect the common man to obey the laws while they do otherwise.

LMAO @ Smoking while driving will attract N20,000.00.

This reminds me of a story that made the rounds in the UK a while ago. A woman was pulled over by a cop and fined for eating an apple while driving.

this is no joke at all very soon lastma officials will own half of the vehicles in lagos.

thank God I have left that agbero city for good, i will soon put my late dad's properties for sale and finally relocate permanently to Abuja

I think thats a good development. driving against traffic could be so annoying, especially if its a bullion van etc, ds kind of law should be implemented in all states

redsun: War against indiscipline.Idaiagbon comes to mind when laws like this are initiated.People got to behave rationally in conformity,including them fcking law givers that expect the common man to obey the laws while they do otherwise.

i agree with this fact

Does this law applicable to military personnel,police officer,honourables,governor himself? Ofcourse not,I guess its only meant for poor civilian...nonsense country

This is gross INSANITY, 3rs & $350 for traffic violation. Where else in the whole wide world is this applicable.

This really show that Fashola is a failed Lawyer and a disgrace to the Law profession. how he became SAN? only God know how?

What is the minimum way to start with?

I can almost picture the spirit behind the laws,it makes complete sense to a effect a higher standard of decency in lagos and in extension nigeria on another hand I feel the punishment far out ways some of the offences which will make it ineffective in a short while,some of the offences are not worth more than a six months jail term,and the fines should range from 5000 to 20,000 naira otherwise I feel it is a good law

Does this Law also applied to Looters of our Land. Hope is not only poor Civilians

This is a good development in the right direction, however, I don't support the jail term but rather, heavy fine. Also, the state government could go ahead and install safety cameras all over the state. This could be used to track traffic offenders, provided that their vehicle registration is tied to their names, account, and their addresses.

Starting with the low life government officials especially the stupid policemen,local government chairmen and councillors, even boys scout and all the area boys in unifor and even the OPC members, na today?

They should include driving with siren by whoever should be fined and imprisoned! Except ambulance and fire truck!....every other person should join d traffic! Including GEJ and fashola...

Una dey crazy for head. How about those politician and how many nigeria politician has been jail in nigeria for misconduct
And those politician Embezzle govt money. No light. Unemployment. Bad govt
Una dey implement law to poor man. Nonsense

Lagos with their wahala sef
Fashola go soon turn lagos to uk

Indication that lagos is a country and not a state. Carry go Fashola.

O.D.B.:
thank God I have left that agbero city for good, i will soon put my late dad's properties for sale and finally relocate permanently to Abuja

Men no be only you oo..lolz
I was born and bred in lag and always looking for every opportunity to get away from that city. It's chaos everywhere, I guess its non-lagosians that have this obsession with Lagos ..

Three years jail term for driving against traffic?That's a bit harsh.A heavy fine will do

O.D.B.:
thank God I have left that agbero city for good, i will soon put my late dad's properties for sale and finally relocate permanently to Abuja

...and if we are to go by your statement, we are to assume there are no traffic laws in Abuja abi? Go and drive against traffic in Abuja make VIO and FRSC officers take you build house

Can Somebody please tell Oga Fashola say this law is STUPID and ILLADVISED!!! Furthermore the law will not only congest our prisons but will enrichen LASTMA officials!!! 20k for not giving toad †☺ traffic at roundabout!! Haba, lastma fit lie on dat one except say the Govt put CCTV everywhere. Ps also the fines must not be automatic, it must go †☺ court first(not magistate court aℓℓ magistrates are underpaid, overworked, government ass kissing stooges), before the fines should be paid.
The law is draconian, oppressive, and dangerous if allowed to become a law!

I think d penalties are a bit too harsh, but d major problem with this proposed law just like many others is implementation. So many pple are above d law in Nigeria...

boyendowed: Three years jail term for driving against traffic?That's a bit harsh.A heavy fine will do

If I was leading a state like Lagos, there would be no option of fine for driving against traffic...you will go to jail!!! We must all learn to be sane people...

greall1: Una dey crazy for head. How about those politician and how many nigeria politician has been jail in nigeria for misconduct
And those politician Embezzle govt money. No light. Unemployment. Bad govt
Una dey implement law to poor man. Nonsense

Na poor man like you naim go one day become big politician. If you fit teach yourself to obey the law now wey you poor so, e no go hard you to obey the law when you sef turn big oga. Someone has to try and take control of this big mess before it overwhelms us all.

luvinhubby: This is gross INSANITY, 3rs & $350 for traffic violation. Where else in the whole wide world is this applicable.

Where else in the world do people disobey traffic laws with such impunity as we do in Lagos Is it not GROSS INSANITY to drive against traffic on a major expressway like Apapa - Oshodi road I pray it doesn't take a personal loss of a relative or friend for you to begin to see the wisdom in the stiff penalties imposed by LASG. Penalties are deterrents...in other words, DO NOT BREAK THE LAW SO YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THE FINE OR DO TIME IN PRISON!!!

Only true Lagosians i.e. (those born and brought up in Lagos and not neccesarily ethnic Lagosians to which I am partly of from my mum's side) Love to Hate Lagos.

If you have spent a better portion of your life in Lagos and eventually find yourself living in another city anywhere on the planet, you would appreciate how useless, rundown, and uncivil Lagos is.

This law is a testament of bad leadership, it is a throw back to military styled draconism. Rather than check why Lagosians ply one way streets, which is as a result of poor planning and lack of viable transport infrastructural development, these clowns believe they only way forward is by punitive means.

Don't get me wrong, driving against traffic is comparable to public defecation in broad daylight, but knowing the thugs currently in employment in LASTMA, they will use this new law to extort people out of their vehicle ownership.

I can't even remember how many times I had had encounters with Lastma when I was still in Lagos. At one point on return from Abuja, I was scared to drive on Lagos streets to avoid their extoortion.

I hope they rebrand some Lastma officials that are not honest as well.

Then work needs to be done on some roads. When I was in Lagos, a particular road is two-way from 5am to 12.59 pm but the same road turns to one-way after 1pm. A lot of visitors to that area usually get caught by Lastma. Some one-way roads usually have hidden or vandalized sign boards.

After all has been said, its a good development. It's meant to move people from private cars to BRT and lagbus.