The Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), have expressed its readiness to collaborate with operators of events centres and other places of public gatherings towards improved traffic management and reduce traffic incidences in all parts of the state.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation Mr Sola Giwa, disclosed this at the maiden stakeholders meeting held with event Centre operators, at the LCCI Conferences and Exhibition Centre, Alausa,Ikeja, in collaboration with the Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC).
Giwa who praised LSSC for its support in helping to rally all the event centre and leisure centre operators, said the meeting is aimed at ensuring more collaboration between them and LASTMA officials, towards ensuring free flow of traffic at all times in the state.
He said: “The Ministry of Transportation through LASTMA, would love to work with you just as you have had a very good working relationship with the safety commission (LSSC) in order to reduce traffic incidences on the road.”
Giwa urged the operators not to resist whatever LASTMA would be bringing forward as it’s way of ensuring smoother and better road experiences for all road users.
He said the maiden meeting is just to bring the operators together and to sound them out on what the government is proposing to implement, adding that while a busy event centre
is what would keep the operators in business, they must ensure such have minimal impact on other road users.
“It is important for all stakeholders to know that LASTMA is saddled with the responsibility of controlling traffic, therefore they must support LASTMA in ensuring that the interest of other road users are prioritized whenever they are hosting events,” Giwa said.
The LSSC General Manager, Mr Lanre Mojola, said the commission is happy to be collaborating with the Ministry of Transportation on managing traffic emanating from event centres, drinking joints and places of worship.
He said despite its small land size, Lagos records over 40,000 events yearly, and these events; he said, leaves untold effect on co-residents hosting such event centres or other road users.
“Today’s event is to bring all stakeholders together for the purpose of talking on how to reduce traffic and improve safety both on the road and even at the event centres, Majola said.
LASTMA’s Acting General Manager Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said effective traffic management especially at event centres and other social outlets contributed greatly to the safety of everyone, including attendees and members of the host community.
He said the agency would among others be willing to help operators to train their in-house traffic attendants on how to manage their parking spaces and providing trainings and other add-ons to helping to make traffic around their centres seamless.
While commending the Ministry of Transportation and LASTMA for the initiative, the stakeholders said they look forward to greater collaboration with LASTMA, an agency which they said have always been very useful to them in controlling traffic around their event spaces.