Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu says attackers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Mr Sanwo-Olu, represented by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, made this known at the second Lagos Traffic Conference in commemoration of LASTMA’s Silver Jubilee celebration on Tuesday.
The anniversary had the theme: ”Enhancing Traffic Efficiency and Safety on Lagos Roads: Challenges, Opportunities and Innovations.”
Mr Sanwo-Olu commended the officials for their professionalism and dedication to duty, “often under challenging and sometimes perilous circumstances, to the critical task of keeping Lagos moving.”
The governor said that LASTMA of tomorrow would be a technologically empowered agency, equipped to tackle the complex challenges of 21st-century urban mobility.
He added that the government would invest in intelligent transportation systems powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as automated number plate recognition and drone surveillance, to enhance traffic management and incident response.
Sridhar Uttara, president of Infotran, a U.S. engineering consulting firm, in his keynote speech urged Lagos to build a Unified Mobility Control Centre and expand its Information Technology System on priority corridors.
“There is also the need to train traffic officers in AI and data tools, invest in smart mobility labs and pilot zones, ensure equity and safety in all projects, and invest in research and development,” he said.
The governor’s Special Adviser on Transportation, Sola Giwa, said the celebration was not for lofty literates but for solutions.
“LASTMA is not bound to all hurdles before them, which include inadequate growth capacity in the face of urban population growth, driver indiscipline, which remains a key trigger of accidents and congestion, and the consistent right of way among commercial transport operators.
“The most concerning is public apathy towards uniform traffic personnel. These are structural, behavioural, and systemic challenges.
“While they are not insurmountable, we still have opportunities, and they are also ongoing interventions under the forward-looking leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. We have made significant strides,” he said.
In his goodwill message, Kayode Opeifa, the managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, said that local solutions to international issues make LASTMA unique.
Mr Opeifa decried the loss of some officers in the line of duty.
“That is the nature of what LASTMA is, you need to see these men work, suffering just to keep Lagos moving, they should be appreciated,” he said.
Earlier, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the general manager of the agency, unveiled LASTMA’s 20-year policy compendium, stating that it would serve as the operational guidelines and mode of operation for the authority.
Mr Bakare-Oki added that the guidelines were seriously scrutinised and worked on by a committee within and outside the country.
(NAN)