The Lagos State Government has barred
big commercial buses, popularly called Molue,
from operating on Lagos Island.
The government explained that it also
did not expect the buses to ply Third Mainland, Eko and Carter bridges,
adding that operating in the Central Business District had become history for
the buses.
A statement from the Lagos State
Traffic Management Authority on Thursday said the move was to ensure adequate
monitoring of the operations of commercial vehicles and compliance with traffic
rules and regulations.
The statement said the General
Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Babatunde Edu, stated this during a stakeholders’
meeting with branch chairmen of the Lagos Urban Bus Owners Association of
Nigeria, the operators of Moluebuses
in the state .
Edu said, “This directive had become
effective since August, 2012, but Lagos State Government, being a responsive
and responsible government which believes in enlightenment before enforcement,
decided to shift the enforcement to September 2013.
“LASTMA officials have been mandated
to ensure strict compliance and impound any Molue that is found to have flouted the
directive after September 4, 2013.”
The General Manager told the
operators that the government had not banned them, therefore they could perform
their operations in any other parts of the state apart from the restricted
areas.
Edu said, “The government has not
banned the operations of Molue in the state. Rather, it has
restricted their operations to areas like Orile, Iyana Ipaja, Mile 2 and Mile
12.”
He said the prohibited routes
included Iddo, Ebute Ero, Apongbon, Obalende, Idumota and CMS.
The leader of the team, Mr. Taofeek
Adesina, commended the government for its effort to restore sanity and order in
the state and pledged the readiness of his union to support the new cause.
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