[size=14pt]New Lagos traffic law takes immediate effect - Fashola[/size]

Monday, 13 August 2012 00:00 JOSHUA BASSEY

Contrary to the general view that the enforcement of the Lagos traffic law recently signed by Governor Babatunde Fashola is deferred pending public enlightenment, the law is already in force  and an offender risks the sanctions as prescribed therein.

Governor Fashola who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with BusinessDay in his office on Thursday, said the law became operational the moment it was signed, as it is no suspended law.  The law which seeks to regulate and sanitise the chaotic public transportation system in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, was assented to by the governor on August 2, 2012.

Some aspects of the law include the criminalisation of eating and making or receiving phone calls while on wheel, driving against traffic flow (one-way) and the barring of motorcycles from dual carriageways in Lagos.  The new law prescribes a jail term of three years and fines ranging between N20,000 and N30,000 for offenders.    Some officials of the state government, a day after the law was signed had said that the enforcement would not begin until the general public was fully sensitised, to avoid claims of ignorance.

But speaking to BusinessDay, Fashola said “Once a law has been signed without a deferred commencement day, it becomes the law. If you’re apprehended violating it, you will get the appropriate sanctions that the law prescribes immediately. There is no suspended law. The law is in force.” The governor explained however, that the commitment and focus of the state government in the meantime, was not on arrest of offenders, but to educate the people about their rights and liabilities with regard to the new law, as well as provide enough signages and information.

“What we’re concerned about is not how many people we catch; it’s how many people we convert into compliance by the strength and the advocacy for the values of compliance. And that’s what we want to focus on in the short term. In the medium term, some increased enforcement and in the long term, total, uncompromising zero-tolerance. By that time, we would have more people voluntarily complying; you’ll see that it’s the same thing as our environmental laws. We spent a lot of time advocating, although that did not mean it was not a crime to dump rubbish in the drain. It did not mean it was not an offence to build on the drainage. We just spent some time on advocacy on the danger of flooding. That’s what we’re going to do again. That’s the government we are, communicating with our people,” Fashola said.

He also debunked the insinuation that revenue generation was at the heart of his administration in fashioning out the law, saying rather, that it was meant to address disorderliness and create economic prosperity for all.
“Let me make one thing clear: No amount of fines that we get can deliver on the economic prosperity that is possible if the Lagos traffic works. So, it’s a tunnel vision approach to think that this is about revenue generation. I’ve heard some of our political opponents say that this is all about revenue; they’ve been out of government for so long they don’t even understand this is not a kobo-kobo business. It’s about general prosperity, when people can travel seamlessly from one end of the state to the other, government makes more money than when they’re locked down in traffic.

“Then, why do I want to put my citizens in jail; I don’t even have space. This is not about locking people; it’s about changing habits and changing a way of life. We’re moving on to a new plane, where a 30-minute journey is a 30-minute journey, not a five hour journey. When there’s breakdown, we already have capacity to remove it. But don’t compound difficulty by breaking the law, by driving against oncoming traffic,” he said.

The governor further explained that the law would address the increasing insecurity of the citizens and their property with the regulation of the operations of commercial motorcycles (okada) and buses, as they would now operate on specific routes assigned to them under the new regime.  BusinessDay reports that the issue of robbery with motorcycles has become a recurring  matter in major Nigerian cities, including Lagos.

“If you go to my inaugural address at my re-election, this was all I spoke about: law and order. It’s the only thing left. If we deviate from law and order, nothing will work. Nigerians have demonstrated that they can, I’ve seen that,” he said.
Fashola also unfolded plans to deepen the knowledge of the enforcers of the law, particularly officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in the use of modern technology in traffic management.

According to him, there’s a lot of technology currently in use, which LASTMA officials are tapping into. He cited the example of Auto Inspector- hand-held devices which enable traffic officers track information about any car registered in Lagos and its owner.

“I’ve told LASTMA, understand your brief. Your brief is to keep Lagos traffic moving. Your brief is not necessarily to apprehend people. So if you see an offender, it does you no good to struggle for his key. Take his photograph with your camera or phone camera and give us a detailed report. We can find him. We have a device now, called auto-inspector, and I can give you the name of the owner of any vehicle registered in this state.

Now we’re already looking at how we can deploy cameras to the traffic lights that we’re putting up. So if you run a light, we’ll come and meet you at home,” the governor said.

“If you go to my inaugural address at my re-election, this was all I spoke about: law and order. It’s the only thingleft

Biggoozz: Dear God, I know you did not abandon Nigeria, pls make Fashola our President if we are still one by 2015. Amen.

drnoel: The new traffic law is bullshit. How can fashola hope to enforce a law when he has not put infrastructions to aid the public obey the law. He has not build all the roads in lagos. Most of the roads are still at their sorry state. Besides how many traffic lights has he installed so far. More than 60% of raods the require traffic lights don´t have em and he is talking about fitting em with cameras. Is that not a mark of irresponsiblity. How does one count from 1 to 10 without calling 2,3,4 e.t.c or does one just jump to 40 while trying to count to 10. He may have good ideas but he is going about it the wrong. The said traffic law is not even in circulation yet or has anyone seen a copy yet or does he expect all lagosians to go in massess to the government house asking to see the new traffic law,..bullshit. How does one enact a law and expects it to be obeyed if the public do not know what the law comprises of and how to obey it...Fashiola is just irresponsible period.

jason123:

I hope you know the difference between federal roads and state roads

drnoel:

lol, but of course i do. If that is all u have to say then u got nothing to say.

naptu2:

http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/news/76-hot-topic/42711-new-lagos-traffic-law-takes-immediate-effect-fashola

olivertwist: SMH...Some people are pessimist from birth and they will die as pessimist. May those that doesn't want the progress of Lagos state be perish on their way to their village(Ise eee}.

For those that wants to see Lagos develop into a modern mega city as planned, may you continue to witness progress in your life{Ise eee}

Shaw007: seriously?? I dont live in lagos so i dont understand that statement,is he for real?? Hs everytin else really been taken care of?? Like. . .everytin that has 2 do about development has been taken cared of,the only tin left is law and order??