Lagos State Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Task Force), led by Chief Superintendent of Police, Shole Jejeloye, yesterday, cleared vehicles parked along roads within Toyota Bus Stop and environs.
The agency also towed vehicles parked indiscriminately along the axis in the exercise that lasted several hours. The exercise is government’s response to reports of indiscriminate parking of vehicles and conversion of the expressway and service lane to mechanics’ workshops.
Mechanics have taken over the newly constructed service lane between Ilasamaja and Toyota Bus Stop along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, and despite reports, they remained on the road.
Illegal operators, including Ladipo Auto Spare parts dealers have turned the service lane into parking lots and workshops, charging motorists between N500 and N1000 for space.
What was thought to be temporary became a permanent feature in the area due to negligence on the part of authorities. Since the service lane was rehabilitated, motorists are having hectic time using it. They have to contend for space with trucks, cars and tricyclists, who park indiscriminately without recourse to other road users.
Trucks are parked at Ilasa, Iyana Isolo, and Five Star down to Toyota Bus Stop, obstructing traffic. When challenged, they threatened to block the whole road and sometimes, their activities cause gridlocks that last for hours.
The situation is compounded by the spillover of commercial activities at the Toyota auto spare parts market to the service lane, where container-laden trucks are parked waiting for their contents to be offloaded right on the road.
It was alleged that the Ladipo Market Task force hierarchy enjoys the support of the Mushin Local Government to convert the road to a car park and that they share the revenue 60 to 40 per cent.
Speaking with The Guardian, Chief of Staff to the President General, Ladipo Amalgamated Automobile Spare Parts Market Association, Jude Chikere Nwankwo, Onyeka Igwe denied charging anyone or having any sharing arrangement with the Mushin Local Government: “We are not charging anyone to park on the road; those working and allowing vehicles to park are on their own. Some people have been collecting money there using the name of Ladipo Market and we know nothing about them.
Jejeloye assured Lagosians that efforts to clear all roads in Lagos are ongoing and will be sustained. He said it is likely that such encroachment will reoccur, but that the Task Force is willing and able to sustain the cleanup.
