It is never the Lagos State Government’s intention to entrap any citizen while using any of the roads, though road users have a responsibility to obey all road signs, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (LAMATA) said yesterday.
Responding to an article, which went viral on Monday, alleging deliberate entrapment by LAMATA BRT TaskForce at Mile 12, Ikorodu, LAMATA, in a statement issued by its Communications Consultant Mr Kolawole Ojelabi, insisted that contrary to the insinuation of the writer of the article, there was neither deliberate entrapment of motorists nor was there any revenue targets to be met.
LAMATA insisted that the TaskForce was on the road to ensure that operations on the BRT lanes are unhindered in any way, urging all road users, visitors or otherwise to observe road signs within the ambit of road regulations.
According to LAMATA, the BRT regulations provides that except for franchised operators for whose purpose the services of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes were constructed, all other vehicles, whether driven or propelled, except ambulances and fire service vehicles are prohibited to ply the BRT roads.
The statement stated: “The location in reference as the point of conflict, in the online post, has visible and enough signage with bold inscription “BRT BUS ONLY” on the road pavement and gantry signage visible from the descent of the Mile 12 Bridge, separating BRT lane and the lane for other vehicles.
”Descending from the Mile 12 Bridge towards Ikorodu, motorists have two options – to exit into the service lane via the marked exit or drive further down to the second exit into the service lanes. The second exit The BRT lane clearly marked with the appropriate road signage to distinguish the BRT lane from other traffic.”
The statement stated that motorists arrested on the BRT lanes are booked to appear before a mobile court set up by the Lagos State and fines are prescribed as contained under the Traffic Offences and Penalties in the Part 3 of the Transport Sector Laws of Lagos State.
The writer in this viral post admitted violating the BRT regulation and was subsequently charged to the mobile court where he pleaded guilty. The writer accepted that he, indeed, obstructed traffic. The law took its natural course.
LAMATA added that citizens have the right to complain about what had been unjustly done to them, but urged that this must be backed with detailed information for the agency to get to the root of the matter, as it is willing to assist any citizen who felt unjustly arrested and prosecuted to help assist in an in-depth investigation to unravel any impropriety in the enforcement of the BRT regulation by the Task Force.