8th September, 2011
The Lagos State government has warned commercial buses operators in the state to paint their buses yellow with black stripes or the buses will be impounded with effect from 15 September, 2011.
The warning came from the state Commissioner for Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, while speaking in his office at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos yesterday.
He said the measure was to ensure that commercial bus operators, especially those on intra-state services comply with the existing law in order to restore sanity on the roads and protect the lives and property of Lagosians.
The Transportation Commissioner banned the writing of inscriptions on commercial vehicles in the state.
Inscriptions like Gallant Mopol, Disabled Sport and Laspotech SUG, he ordered, must be removed henceforth.
Opeifa said all campus and military cantonment shuttle buses must restrict their operations to their approved area of coverage.
He urged individuals who registered the vehicles and encouraged them to operate outside their areas of jurisdiction to desist from the unlawful act.
The commissioner called on military authorities, the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and Road Transport Employers Association, RTEAN, to ensure that all vehicles belonging to their members comply with the directive.
He said that law enforcement agents such as the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, the Vehicle Inspection Officers, VIOs, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI, have been directed to impound any commercial vehicle that violates the law.
The commissioner said only commercial buses on the Lagos State government franchise scheme and those on pilot test are exempted.
He therefore advised commercial bus operators plying Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Obalende routes but does not belong to the franchise scheme to remove their vehicles from this axis and desist from such illegal operation.
Opeifa advised all inter and intra state commercial bus operators to desist from violating traffic rules like illegal parking, loading or discharging passengers at unapproved bus stops, driving on the kerbs, medians, walkways, BRT corridor, driving against traffic, illegal u-turn and obstruction, among others.