The Lagos State Government on Sunday said serious steps were being taken to address street trading and other vices in the state.
The Chairman of State Taskforce on Environmental Offences, CSP Shola Jejeloye stated this while addressing officers of the task force on the negative and harmful effects street trading was having on the state.
Jejeloye said officers would be deployed to carry out an all-round operations in areas like Iyana-Ipaja, Oshodi, Ikeja Along, Yaba amongst others.
He said residents of the state were being made to face unnecessary traffic jam and hardship caused by street trading.
According to him, the operation will be directed at acts of displaying wares by the roadside, selling on kerbs, illegal blocking of streets to carry out social activities, flagrant pollution of the environment and indiscriminate parking of vehicles on roads.
He said his officers will also check illegal collection of fees on the highways by the road transport union officials and others constituting nuisance by serial offenders within the state.
“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,” he said.
The chairman pointed out that the elimination of street trading would drastically reduce the cases of traffic robbery being reported daily.
He assured residents of Lagos State that the agency would not rest on its oars in ensuring that sanity was maintained in all parts of the state.
He added that the taskforce was working round the clock to make sure that offenders were brought to book.
“We are going to make series of arrests in the coming weeks and they will all be made to face mobile court immediately for prosecution.
“This will serve as a deterrent to others to desist from activities that are detrimental to the people.
The roads, inner streets and highways belong to us all and it is in our best interest to make sure we safe guard and preserve them for our use,” he said.
