The newly created Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA) has unveiled plans to tackle indiscriminate parking by vehicle owners on the streets of Lagos, even as it listed various parking violations and offences that would no longer be tolerated in the state.
Speaking at a parley with journalists in Lagos recently, General Manager of the agency, Adebisi Adelabu, noted that parking problems had become some of the thorniest issues affecting the economy and the environment.
She, therefore, warned that the Lagos State Government could no longer fold its hands while the offences continue, hence the need for a holistic approach towards regulating the cause effects.
She said in order to tackle this issue, the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, established LASPA in 2021 with the mandate of promoting the Lagos state parking policies in line with national transport policies by advancing knowledge, raising standard and assessment of related fees.
According to her, LASPA would provide an enabling environment for vehicle owners in a secured functional orderly and sustainable parking system management scheme.
The GM mentioned that the agency is optimising the On and Off-street parking supplies, setbacks options, registration of existing private parks operators to maximize urban public spaces in finding lasting solutions to parking-induced traffic.
She also revealed that while the state government is building and transforming the parking infrastructures within the metropolis, there is a need for the provision of available real-time parking information for city users planning to improve the overall quality of the parking system in the state.
“LASPA will achieve excellence in how Lagos state parking policies are envisioned, developed and in line with best global practices for a modern, efficient and sustainable managed parking system towards reducing congestion, disruption, improved road safety and changing travel behavior.”
She listed various parking offences in the state to include: Parking of commercial vehicles on streets, blocking an entrance or exit and walkway, parking on slots marked for public transport, fire service, ambulance, taxis and people with special needs.
Speaking further, Mrs. Adelabu stated that parking of vehicles on sidewalks, road median, whether paved or not, and parking of vehicles within three meters of a fire hydrant, as well as parking of vehicles against the directional flow of traffic, are all now prohibited in the state.
Adelabu called on all park operators (commercial and non-commercial) to register with the agency for an operating permit from March 1, 2022.
Earlier in his state, the Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, said the creation of LASPA by Gov. Sanwo-Olu became necessary to address the acts of motorists who park indiscriminately on the roads and at undesignated bus stops.
Dr. Oladeinde explained that in line with the first pillar of THEME’S Agenda, traffic management and transportation is top on priority scale of the state government.
This, according to him, explains why parking space issues needed to be addressed to reduce travel time worsened by traffic hiccups and make the state a 21st-century running economy for its residents in the short and long term.
Dr. Oladehinde maintained that the imbalance between parking demand and parking supply has been the main reason for the metropolis’ un-regularised parking problems, hence the need for LASPA.
These, according to him, are contributing to traffic congestion, traffic accidents, and environmental pollution which the agency is fervently poised to address.
According to him, the new Lagos State Parking policy is designed to decongest traffic, address climate change challenges, create job opportunities and also generate revenue for the state through issuance of parking tickets to defaulters.
Dr. Oladehinde urged vehicle owners to shun any act of indiscriminate parking which contributes greatly to traffic congestion, adding that the administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu is determined to sanitize the transport sector, and make it in tune with global best practices.
Source: Sun News Online
