Lagos govt to clamp down on street traders

The Lagos State government has concluded plans to check street trading and other vices in the state.

The Chairman of the State Taskforce on Environmental Offences, CSP Shola Jejeloye, who disclosed this to journalists on Sunday, said the taskforce officers would be deployed to carry out operations in Iyana-Ipaja, Oshodi, Ikeja Along and Yaba among others.

He said people of the state were being made to face unnecessary traffic jams and hardship caused by street trading.

He said the operation was aimed at checking the public display of wares by the roadside, selling on the kerb, illegal blocking of streets for social activities, flagrant pollution of the environment, and indiscriminate parking of vehicles on roads.

Jejeloye added that the officers would also check illegal collection of fees on the highways by the road transport union officials and others in the state.

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He said: “It has become worrisome having to spend many hours in traffic caused by unauthorised display of wares by traders on our roads, thereby creating an artificial bottleneck.

“We have to put a stop to that by ensuring that activities involving buying and selling are taken off the roads and into the marketing complex designed for such.

“Street trading gives room for traffic robbery in some parts of the state.

“There are many instances where some street traders carry out their activities during the day and when it gets dark they pull out dangerous weapons like knives and sharp objects to rob motorists held up in traffic.”

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