By Seun Ibiyemi
The Lagos State Government has unveiled a renewed enforcement framework to strengthen regulatory compliance across the commercial transport sector, with a focus on improving public safety, commuter security and accountability.
The initiative, being implemented through the Directorate of Public Transport and Commuter Services (PTCS) of the Ministry of Transportation, involves a coordinated operational partnership with the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
The Director of Public Transport and Commuter Services, Mr Nuhman Edu, disclosed this, saying the collaboration was designed to address critical safety and regulatory gaps in the state’s commercial transport system.
He identified some of the violations targeted by the initiative as failure to register commuter vehicles properly, absence of vehicle body tags, stage carriage permits, drivers’ badges and conductors’ badges.
According to Edu, the partnership with VIS and LASTMA will strengthen the verification of required safety documents, particularly during routine enforcement operations.
“Where a vehicle is found to be non-compliant, enforcement or compliance procedures will be initiated strictly in accordance with extant laws, regulations, approved guidelines and established operational procedures,” he said.
Edu explained that proper identification of commercial vehicles and their drivers would improve traceability and accountability among transport operators.
READ ALSO:SERAP urges Tinubu to order probe of suspected AI-generated photos in INEC voter register
He added that the framework would also assist investigations involving vehicles allegedly used to commit crimes and facilitate the prompt resolution of commuter complaints.
To ensure effective implementation, the director said the framework would clearly define the responsibilities of the participating agencies across six key areas.
These include verification of prescribed PTCS products and documentation; recording and documentation of vehicle compliance status; identification and documentation of non-compliance cases; initiation of appropriate enforcement or corrective measures; reporting, information exchange and data-sharing among agencies; and referral of cases requiring further administrative or regulatory action to the appropriate authorities.
Edu stressed that commuter safety and security remained the major reasons for regulating public transportation.
He said the Ministry would engage transport unions and associations through stakeholder meetings, media campaigns and sensitisation programmes to ensure operators understood the objectives, requirements and procedures of the compliance initiative.
The director further disclosed that the Ministry had resolved to introduce continuous monitoring, evaluation and assessment of compliance levels across the state.
He said a reporting and feedback mechanism would also be established to communicate identified compliance gaps and emerging issues for timely resolution.
The renewed enforcement drive is expected to strengthen coordination among transport regulatory agencies and improve adherence to established standards across Lagos State’s commercial transport sector.
