TheCable

Chris Olakpe, chairman, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), says the agency arrests at least 880 motorists are arrested on a daily basis over breach of traffic rules.

Olakpe said each of the 44 zones of LASTMA make minimum 20 arrests daily.

According to him, mobile courts hear and determine the cases and give fines.

He said LASTMA had established a protocol unit to ensure that arrest were made in a polite manner.

“When we are talking of arrest, it is a daily occurrence; we have about 44 zones of LASTMA, and not less than 20 arrests are made daily by each of the zones,” Olakpe said.

“The arrests are done by serving court summons on erring motorists.”

“No Nigerian citizen will like to be arrested without resistance; it is worse with commercial drivers in Lagos. This poses a challenge to us.

“In fact, it a herculean task. As you raise a hand to stop them, they put their vehicles in reverse; in the process of trying to escape, they hit vehicles behind them.’’

On commercial motorcyclists plying highways, Olakpe said LASTMA was working with the police to carry out enforcement.

The chairman also said that discussions were ongoing to ensure that personnel  guilty of selective arrests would be punished.

He added that the agency had warned its personnel against jumping into vehicles to arrest erring drivers.