The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has launched a statewide enforcement operation to tackle widespread vehicular overloading, impounding 27 commercial and private vehicles during an early-morning coordinated exercise carried out after repeated public warnings.
The operation, ordered by LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki, targeted major arterial corridors and busy inner-city routes where officers observed a recurring pattern of motorists, particularly commercial operators, loading vehicles with bulky goods and perishable items stored in luggage compartments or precariously mounted on roofs.
LASTMA said these practices obstruct rear visibility, destabilise vehicle balance and impair drivers’ situational awareness, significantly increasing the risk of avoidable collisions.
Bakare-Oki described the situation as “an unsightly and perilous spectacle,” condemning the rampant overloading of commercial buses, private cars and articulated vehicles with goods and scrap metals in blatant disregard for public safety. He stressed that vehicular overloading is a serious contravention of state traffic laws that endangers both occupants and other road users.
The agency reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on traffic infractions that threaten lives and property and warned that enforcement actions will be sustained, intensified and uncompromising. LASTMA urged motorists to observe stipulated loading capacities, maintain unobstructed visibility and prioritise roadworthiness and safety in daily operations.
The Authority said it will continue to enforce traffic laws professionally and equitably in support of the Lagos State Government’s commitment to a safe, orderly and efficient transportation system. Members of the public are asked to report vehicles violating loading limits via the LASTMA toll-free hotline 0800-005-27862 to enable swift enforcement and corrective action.
