Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Monday, said the state’s new traffic law was aimed at achieving compliance by Lagosians, rather than arresting and sending anybody to jail.

Governor Fashola, who spoke when he received the new Federal Road Safety Corps Sector Commander in Lagos State, Mr Nseobong Akpabio in his office. He said the law was all about the safety of Lagosians, as it was not meant to send anybody to jail, adding that, a jail sentence would be the very extreme.

According to the governor, “unlike the provision under the old traffic law, the new law has made provisions for, not only payment of fines, but for convicted offenders to engage in community service, such as controlling traffic for a specified period,” adding, “the objective of the new law is to get people to comply, rather than getting them arrested or apprehended. There is nothing spectacular about the provisions in a new law that is not applicable in distant locations.”

Governor Fashola, who restated the preparedness of the state to work with the agency within the provisions of the law added “against the background that safety on roads is the primary reason the FRSC exists. But I often have some difficulties on which roads the agency is expected to carry out its functions, and my position has often been misconstrued.”

The governor emphasised that constitutionally, it is the state government that has the responsibility to manage traffic on all municipal roads within its territory, adding that, it does not mean that federal and state agencies cannot collaborate in areas like training of drivers or sharing of knowledge.”

“It is not acceptable under law for the FRSC to come within the territory of any state to manage traffic, you cannot. I am sorry, as that is the law of this country and not my opinion. In the same way, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) cannot go to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway,  because it is a road that links two states or more. Sometimes, I see some of your officers on such routes and I say, is this part of the road safety as well? I ask myself, because I don’t know and I wish to know,” the governor added.

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