Lagos motorists driving against traffic risk imprisonment, vehicle forfeiture

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (task force) has announced that motorists caught driving against the traffic will now face up to a year in prison if convicted and their vehicles will be forfeited to the government.

The task force said this in a statement by the Head of Public Affairs, Femi Moliki, on Sunday while announcing that 10 vehicles were impounded for driving against the traffic when the Chairman of the agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye, led his team on a routine enforcement of the traffic law at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road on Friday.

Jejeloye said despite the impound-and-auction policy of the state government, motorists were still driving against the traffic, adding that any driver found guilty would now face one year imprisonment and have the vehicle forfeited.

The statement read in part, “Forthwith, the task force will start prosecuting drivers of vehicles impounded for one-way (driving against traffic). It is appalling that despite the seizure of vehicles and their auction after obtaining a court order, a lot of motorists still drive against the traffic. The agency will now implement the traffic law against drivers driving against the normal flow of traffic, which stipulates one-year imprisonment for the drivers and the forfeiture of the vehicles.

“Despite the fact that a lot of lives have been cut short by vehicles driving against the traffic, many motorists are still in the habit of driving against the traffic, putting pedestrians and other road users’ lives in danger. No one will be spared in enforcing the law forthwith.”

The impounded vehicles are: Sino truck with number plate LND 26 XW; Toyota Corolla, BDG 935 FY; A-Zebra, AGL 18 AH; Ford Limited, PF 3622 SPY; Toyota Matrix, KSF 15 DS; Highlander, LSD 01 GR; Toyota Hiace, GGE 506 XZ; mini bus, BDG 484 TC; Toyota Hilux, KJA 392 XT; and Toyota Hilux, AAA 987 ET.