The Lagos State Government has impounded over 200 vehicles found to be operating without valid registration or required safety certification, in a decisive enforcement operation aimed at tightening compliance with transportation laws across the state.
The operation, which took place over a 48-hour period, was conducted by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in collaboration with the Lagos State Vehicle Inspection Service. According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, the clampdown followed intelligence reports and routine monitoring of key transport corridors where unregistered and unpainted commercial vehicles were being used to convey passengers.
“These vehicles do not only flout existing transport regulations, they also pose a grave risk to the safety of other road users,” Giwa said while addressing journalists on Friday. “It is dangerous and unacceptable to have vehicles plying our roads without undergoing the basic checks to ascertain their roadworthiness. The impounded vehicles will not be released until their owners provide evidence of registration and compliance with the state’s safety standards.”
Areas where the enforcement was most intense include Obalende, CMS, Ajah, Oshodi, and Ojo Cantonment. Officials confirmed that many of the seized vehicles were being operated by commercial transport companies and individuals who had deliberately failed to register with the appropriate authorities or to paint their vehicles in accordance with the state’s colour coding scheme for commercial use.
The state government, citing the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018, warned that this enforcement exercise is part of a broader strategy to rid Lagos roads of illegal and unsafe vehicles. The law mandates that all vehicles operating in the state must be registered, roadworthy, and painted according to use—private or commercial.
Giwa noted that aside from being a regulatory requirement, proper registration of vehicles is also a security measure to monitor the movement of vehicles within the state. “Operators who continue to evade the system will be prosecuted, and their vehicles will remain in government custody until full compliance is achieved,” he added.
The enforcement is expected to continue in the coming weeks, as the government doubles down on efforts to sanitise the state’s transport sector and reduce avoidable accidents caused by faulty or illegal vehicles.
Motorists are advised to regularise their vehicle documents and comply with safety regulations to avoid sanctions.
