LASTMA Seizes 27 Vehicles Over Overloading and Safety Breaches

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has seized 27 commercial and private vehicles across the state for breaching loading regulations and road safety requirements.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, and shared on the agency’s official X account.

According to the statement, the vehicles were impounded during a coordinated early-morning enforcement exercise carried out after repeated public warnings and sensitisation campaigns.

LASTMA said it has launched a comprehensive statewide enforcement drive to curb the dangerous practice of vehicular overloading, in line with its commitment to improving road safety and ensuring strict adherence to traffic laws in Lagos State. The agency explained that the affected vehicles were found to have exceeded approved loading limits and violated established safety standards.

The operation was conducted on the directive of the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, following growing concerns about the increasing dangers posed by overloaded vehicles on major highways and busy inner-city roads. Field assessments by enforcement officers, the agency revealed, uncovered widespread unsafe practices, particularly among commercial vehicle operators.

LASTMA noted that many motorists were found transporting assorted goods, including bulky and perishable items, improperly stored in vehicle compartments or dangerously placed on rooftops. It warned that such practices impair visibility, affect vehicle stability, and significantly raise the risk of road accidents.

The statement quoted the General Manager as describing vehicular overloading as a serious breach of traffic regulations that endangers both offenders and other road users. He condemned the practice of loading commercial buses, private vehicles, and articulated trucks with excessive goods and scrap materials, describing it as dangerous and unacceptable.

Bakare-Oki reaffirmed the agency’s zero-tolerance policy toward traffic violations that threaten lives and property, stressing that enforcement actions would continue and be intensified. LASTMA also urged motorists to comply strictly with approved loading capacities and to prioritise safety at all times.

The agency further encouraged members of the public to report any commercial or private vehicles violating loading regulations through its toll-free hotline, 0800-005-27862, to enable prompt enforcement and corrective action.