The General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Olajide Oduyoye has denied reports by a television station alleging an altercation between him and some intending passengers on the Third Mainland Bridge on Day Three of the partial closure of the bridge for maintenance and repairs.
Oduyoye explained that he was at the Adeniji-Adele end of the bridge to ensure that traffic management directives were in place in preparation for the afternoon traffic movement from Adeniji inwards Oworonshoki when he noticed that several individuals were waiting on the carriageway for commercial buses to the extent that traffic on a whole lane of the road was disrupted.
“I couldn’t understand why the people had to stand on the road and endanger their lives in view of the expected large traffic movement in the direction once the road barriers were removed for the afternoon belt movement from the Island to the Mainland. Moreover, there are no designated bus stops on the Third Mainland Bridge which could necessitate commuters waiting for commercial vehicles on the Bridge”, he explained.
He added that in order to ensure their safety and with the help of the Police, Federal Road Safety Corps and Civil Defence officers, the intending passengers were asked to step off the carriageway for their own protection, adding that his noble intention was to protect and safeguard their lives without any form of dispute.
Oduyoye, therefore, enjoined the media family to try and balance stories meant for public consumption in order to avoid misinforming and misleading the general public if the news content is not sufficiently balanced.
The General Manager stated that LASTMA and all the Federal and State government sister agencies are collaborating to ensure that Lagos does not experience an avoidable traffic gridlock during the partial closure of the Third Mainland Bridge, saying that “it is our responsibility to do the best we can to keep Lagos traffic moving”.
