The Lagos State Taskforce frowns at the spate and manner in which car dealers have converted Road setbacks, walkways, lay-bys, gardens, and other unapproved space to car lots that are not in the original master plan of the State Government.
Gbadeyan Abduraheem, Lagos Taskforce Pro, said this on Monday in a statement.
This position was made known by the Chairman of the Agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye, at the Headquarters of the Agency at Bolade Oshodi, where he described the actions of some Motor dealers and transport operators as inconsiderate for jeopardizing the safety, serenity, beautification exercise, and greener Lagos initiative of the Lagos State Government for their selfish gains. He stated that the practice of these individuals has been going on for a long time now, but the time to put an end to it has finally come.
“It is high time we put a stop to this unruly behaviour and environmental impunity of converting every available public space to personal use by some motor dealers. Walkways, road setbacks, and lay-bys were meant and created to cater for pedestrian movement and other public uses, but nowadays you see cars parked on them with kegs placed on top, indicating they are for sale. This is totally wrong, and we are here to put a final stop to it. Cars for sale should be parked at approved car lots and not by the roadside or walkways.” Jejeloye stated.
The chairman also stated that the indiscriminate use of motor dealers’ registered number plates is worrisome. “We have it on good authority that car dealers are now fond of using one registered number plate for private use simply to evade other vehicle particulars. Some unscrupulous elements in society use car dealer number plates to perpetrate criminal acts in the state, which they believe would not be traced to them as the vehicle used during the criminal act could be different from the vehicle placed on the following day.”
The chairman sounded a note of warning to car dealers who are still in the habit of parking their vehicles for sale on the walkways to either move them to proper car lots or have them impounded and their owners made to face the full wrath of the law. He warned them not to take Lagosians for granted by denying them their right to make use of public amenities built with taxpayer money.
He urged well-meaning residents to report any infractions by car dealers to the Agency through the dedicated lines or social media handles for prompt action. “The quest to maintain sanity, serenity, and habitability in our environment must be the collective effort of all”. He concluded