UTILIZE OVERHEAD PEDESTRIAN PASSAGE OR FACE DETENTION – DIRECTIVE FROM THE LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT

The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (KAI) has issued a cautionary notice, emphasizing a penalty of N50,000 for individuals found crossing the highway without utilizing the designated pedestrian bridge.

Mr. Tokubo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources in Lagos State, shared this information on his X app @tokunbo_wahab over the weekend.

He emphasized that crossing the highway constitutes an offense in Lagos State, and the Lagos State Government has given explicit instructions to the @LAGESCOfficial (KAI) Marshal and other law enforcement personnel to apprehend those crossing the highway and promptly present them in court.

Responding swiftly, an X user @AlexOgunsina pointed out the discrepancy between the N50,000 fine and the 30k minimum wage in Nigeria, deeming it counterproductive unless alternative options to the fine are considered.

The Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Command, reported 376 road accidents resulting in 128 fatalities in Lagos State from January to October 2023.

Babatunde Farinloye, the FRSC Lagos Sector Commander, disclosed this in a recent interview, attributing more than 90% of road traffic accidents to factors like driver recklessness, ignorance of highway codes, and overspeeding.

The study also revealed recurring patterns in road traffic accidents in Lagos State, with periodicities of 32.00 and 16.00 years, with the dominant cycle being 32 years.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2020, road traffic accident deaths in Nigeria accounted for 41,693 or 2.82% of total deaths, with an age-adjusted death rate of 27.25 per 100,000 population, ranking Nigeria at #54 globally

Reporter:  Tobi Adetunji

News Source: Techeconomy