Lagos govt to clampdown on speeding tanker, truck drivers
By SUMAYYAH ADEFAKA
The Lagos State Government has warned operators of articulated vehicles, tankers and trucks to comply strictly with traffic laws and speed limits.
The Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation, Mr Sola Giwa, issued the warning in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.
Giwa was reacting to a crash caused by speeding and involving a heavy-duty truck conveying Compressed Natural Gas and a privately owned motor vehicle. The incident occurred at the crest of Apakun Bridge, inward Oshodi.
He warned that, he would not hesitate to unleash the full weight of the law on any individual found culpable of endangering human lives through reckless or unlawful driving practices.
Giwa said preliminary security assessments indicated that the truck, bearing registration number EKY 120 YK, was speeding, in violation of established traffic safety standards, and rammed into a moving silver-coloured Toyota Corolla with registration number EKY 289 HM.
“The force of the collision precipitated severe traffic disruption and posed an immediate and existential threat to lives and property within the surrounding vicinity.
“In the unfortunate aftermath of the incident, two unsuspecting pedestrians were struck in the course of the collision, while the driver of the Toyota Corolla sustained grave and debilitating injuries,” he said.
He noted that officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority promptly mobilised to the scene and effectively rescued and extricated the injured victims from the wreckage.
He said the affected pedestrians and the injured driver were swiftly conveyed to a nearby medical facility, where they are presently undergoing intensive and life-preserving medical treatment.
To safeguard public safety and maintain order throughout the rescue and evacuation operations, he added that personnel of the Ajao Estate Police Division provided robust security reinforcement.
“This forestalled secondary incidents and ensured an unhindered and seamless emergency response.
“Also, in recognition of the inherent danger posed by the truck’s highly combustible cargo, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service were strategically deployed to the scene.”
Giwa condemned the alarming frequency of road traffic accidents caused by reckless speeding, particularly among operators of trucks, tankers and other articulated vehicles.
