Lagos to fight illegal parking in Mile 12

Lagos State Government on Tuesday said it had declared “war” on illegal parking at the Mile 12 Market during the Easter and subsequent days to stop gridlock on Ikorodu Road.
The government said illegal parking of vehicles rented by traders in the market was a major cause of traffic congestion in the area.
General Manager, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Mr. Babatunde Edu, and the Chairman of the state Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit, Bayo Sulaiman, made this known during a meeting with traders and other stakeholders in the market.
Edu said illegal parking and selling of perishable goods by the roadside were denying motorists the opportunity to freely pass through the area.
He said, “You have to provide a place where your customers will park, don’t expect them to pack on the road. The excuse that the truck drivers are waiting to collect money from their customers before leaving the market is not tenable. They must leave on time to allow other trucks to come in.
“We have blockades on the service lane because of the activities of traders and commercial drivers. Things will not change until we change our attitude and ways of doing things”
Edu also warned LAGBUS and BRT operators against illegal parking, saying LASTMA officials had been empowered to take photograph of errant drivers and their buses.
Sulaiman urged the National Union of Road Transport Workers and traders to desist from operating on the service lanes and restrict their operations within the market.
He said, “Find a way to regulate the way you are doing your business; you can’t continue to operate while you make people suffer.
“We are worried by the complaints of other citizens who are been unable to get to their homes on time because of your business activities.”
The Chairman of Perishable Goods Association, Alhaji Haruna Muhammed, promised to sensitise members of the association, but said some shop owners and commercial bus drivers were the major causes of gridlock in the area.