Official stresses the need for traffic laws in Lagos state

Two weeks ago, the Lagos state government released a list of traffic offences and penalties.

The new Lagos State Traffic Law was launched, along with the mobile court.

An official of the

He said the new laws were needed to regulate the terrible traffic.

"If there are no adequate laws to control the traffic in Lagos, there will be serious congestion and chaos on our roads. Businesses will always suffer. Imagine several productive hours lost to unnecessarily gridlocks during peak hours everyday!"

READ: NURTW Lagos chapter urges members to obey traffic laws

However, he urged the state government to provide more pedestrian bridges.

"For example, Ijaiye is a densely populated area. Unfortunately, they don't have a pedestrian bridge. People crossing the road also add to the traffic gridlocks in that area. Many people have been sent to early graves, others are either maimed or seriously wounded, receiving treatment in the hospital."

Concerning the new mobile court, the NURTW official called for more road signs and advised the courts to dispense justice equally.

"The government is now trying to enforce it through the introduction of mobile courts. To be effective there should be designated bus stop signs so that vehicles trying to pick or drop passengers will know the right place to do so.

Most of the one way road signs have been removed by some law enforcement officials, so that motorists will enter their traps ignorantly.

Deal with both government and commercial or public drivers equally, without taking sides."