ROAD CONSTRUCTION: LASTMA COMMENDS MOTORISTS’ PATIENCE, COOPERATION
…Adopts New Strategy To Enhance Free Movement
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Wednesday commended motorists and members of the public for the understanding, perseverance and patience despite the inconvenience caused by the road rehabilitation and construction going on in different parts of the State, stressing that a new strategy has been mapped out by the Agency to enhance free-flow of traffic in the affected areas.
LASTMA’s General Manager, Mr. Olawale Musa, who gave the commendation during a tour of construction sites across the State today, said there is a need to encourage the people to continue to cooperate and support traffic officials in the various locations as the construction works were approaching critical stages of completion.
According to him, “The ongoing construction, expansion and rehabilitation of roads are deliberate efforts of the State Government to improve the standard of living, road security, commerce and socio-economic development capable of placing the State in the comity of modern cities with state-of-the-art road infrastructural facilities”.
“As an agency, LASTMA is not oblivious of traffic gridlock being experienced when magnitude of roads are being constructed simultaneously in a complex and populated city like Lagos, but we like to first appreciate motorists, commuters and indeed the general public for their patience, perseverance and cooperation so far, and as well assure them that when the roads are finally completed, the benefits will outweigh their current experience”, he added.
Musa said a critical look at those roads would show that the projects were being executed assiduously to meet standard and delivery time, adding that a new traffic management strategy to enhance free-flow of traffic in the construction areas and the environment has been mapped out by the Agency.
In his words, “Already, LASTMA has mapped out new traffic control management strategy that will increase the flow of traffic on all the construction areas in the State through deployment and retraining of key officers on effective traffic management in a complex environment”.
“The current gridlock being experienced by motorists on Lagos – Abeokuta Express Road and Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road are temporary. As we speak, we are working with the construction companies in order to ameliorate traffic on that axis by constantly reviewing project implementation time, the flow of traffic, opening up of alternative routes and deployment of LASTMA officials in critical areas,” Musa said.
He, therefore, appealed to motorists to comply with directives of traffic officials and cooperate with them to enjoy the stress-free journey, noting that there would be less traffic on the road with continued support and cooperation of the general public.
The General Manager also urged motorists and commuters alike to report the indiscretion and wrongdoing of any officer of the Agency for an appropriate sanction, saying such remained the only way bad eggs could be flushed out from the system.