Ten articulated trucks and heavy-duty vehicles have been seized by the Lagos State Government for violating the Third Mainland Bridge’s entrance restriction.
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The seizure was carried out by a newly formed enforcement squad whose mission is to make sure the state’s rules on restricted routes are fully followed.
In a statement released on Sunday, Sola Giwa, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, and Taofiq Adebayo, spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, made the disclosure.
According to Giwa, the weekend operation was in line with the Sanwo-Olu administration’s goal of protecting citizens and public works by strictly enforcing traffic laws.
Taking this step shows that the government will not slack up on infractions that endanger the public and undermine vital transport corridors, he added.
The enforcement, he claims, is the result of multiple public awareness campaigns, rounds of stakeholder engagement, and government advisories of the limitation on articulated trucks utilising the bridge.
Commuters and the bridge itself are in danger, he said, because some operators have disregarded the order despite numerous warnings.
Following its recent extensive restoration, the Third Mainland Bridge now connects the Lagos mainland to the Island. However, trucks weighing more than nine tonnes are legally prohibited from crossing the bridge.
There is some logic to the limitation. It has the backing of preexisting traffic laws and is based on engineering evaluations. Giwa underlined that there will be harsh penalties for non-compliance.
He went on to say that LASTMA personnel have been ordered to crack down on regulation violators without mercy.
He brought attention to the fact that the bridge now has state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, such as high-definition cameras that can trace infractions automatically and monitor in real-time.
He assured the public that officials would enforce the law consistently and quickly thanks to technological advancements.
Additionally, Giwa emphasised that the program is a component of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration’s larger plan to improve traffic management and road safety through encouraging conscientious driving and long-term investment in transportation infrastructure.
This is a preventative approach, not a punitive one. Maintaining safe and efficient traffic flow is of utmost importance, as is preventing structural fatigue.
He warned that those who disobey the law would have their trucks seized and subjected to legal consequences.