The Lagos State Government has impounded no fewer than 10 articulated trucks for violating the restriction order placed on heavy-duty vehicles on the Third Mainland Bridge.
The enforcement operation, which began over the weekend, marks the beginning of a crackdown on articulated vehicles found using the recently rehabilitated bridge.
Speaking on the operation, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, said the trucks were seized for defying the long-standing restriction on vehicles exceeding nine tonnes from plying the bridge.
He stated that the government had carried out stakeholder engagements, sensitization campaigns, and issued public advisories before launching the enforcement action.
“The Third Mainland Bridge is categorically excluded from the list of permissible routes for some articulated vehicles. This restriction is clearly enshrined in the law, and non-compliance will be met with decisive sanctions.
“Officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have begun a full-scale enforcement operation, and defaulters will be apprehended and penalized without exemption,” Giwa was quoted as saying in a statement issued on Sunday by the spokesperson of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq.
He added that LASTMA has deployed its officers to the bridge to ensure strict compliance, noting that enforcement will continue until full discipline is restored.
As part of the effort, the state government has also installed advanced surveillance and speed enforcement cameras on the bridge to monitor traffic in real time and detect violations.
According to Giwa, the initiative is not intended to be punitive, but to prevent structural damage and improve the flow of traffic across the state.
He warned truck drivers, fleet operators, and logistics companies to comply with the prescribed traffic rules, stressing that further violations would be met with immediate impoundment and legal penalties.
“The period of indulgence is over. Ample sensitization has been undertaken, and the regulatory position is unambiguous. Any truck operator found flouting the prohibition will have their vehicle impounded immediately, and appropriate sanctions will be enforced in line with the law,” he warned.
The state government urged members of the public, particularly those in the haulage sector, to cooperate with enforcement authorities and adhere to designated traffic routes as part of their civic responsibility.
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