By Monalisa Agbata
The Lagos State Government has issued a 7-day notice to estates and communities to remove unapproved street gates across the state, with an instruction to either leave the gates open to allow traffic from 5 a.m to midnight or dismantle them.
The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, who issued this notice on Friday 4th December 2020, blamed the gates and structures for contributing to intense traffic situation across the city. He stressed that the structures and gates were installed without requisite government approval and as such contravenes the provisions of the State Traffic Laws and Regulations.
According to him, “During the recent inspection exercise conducted by the officials of the Ministry of Transportation, it was discovered that some communities have sited gates on some inner roads to avoid vehicular movement on their streets, and this unruly act has contributed to the heavy traffic congestion currently being experienced on our roads on daily basis”.
Mr Oladeinde emphasized that the Ministry, alongside the Local Government and Community Affairs, has the regulatory mandate on the installation of gates towards enhancing Traffic Management on the inner roads while protecting the lives and property of the affected communities.
Mr Oladeinde further added that that although it is expected that all street gates across the State be opened between 5 am to 12 midnight, the gates must be managed by security personnel engaged by the community or residents’ association and must be opened for emergency services such as police, ambulance and fire services at any time.
He warned that the Special Committee set up by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation on demolition of gated streets has begun enforcement exercise on the removal of gates in locations that failed to comply with the government’s directive on ‘Gated Streets’ regulation.
The Commissioner, therefore, advised communities with Government approval for installation of gates on their streets to come forward with their documents for onward review and necessary approvals, failure of which the Special Committee would have to remove such street gates.