Lagos seeks cooperation to curb traffic, environmental issues
The Lagos State Government has called on stakeholders operating within the Lagos Island Central Business District to cooperate with the present administration in curbing environmental and traffic issues within the district.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business Districts, Prince Anofiu Olarenwaju Elegushi made the call at an interactive meeting with stakeholders operating in the Lagos Island Business District held at the Onikan Youth Center, Lagos.
APC leaders looting our common patrimony – PDP
Elegushi stated that the essence of the meeting was to discuss and foster synergy of purpose on how to tackle issues such as traffic management, violation of physical planning laws, security, waste management, street trading and other salient issues relating to the operations and development of the area.
He decried the nuisance of street trading and display of wares on walkways and roads, urging market leaders and owners of shops and plazas extended to the roads to remove them immediately or face the consequences prescribed in the environmental and physical planning laws of Lagos State.
While imploring commercial tricycles and motorbike operators not to flout the law on restricted routes, he reiterated that the affected roads include Inner Marina, Broad Street, Nnamdi Azikwe Street, Inner and Outer Marina, Martins Street, Balogun Street and Davies Street, amongst others.
He said “State Government has expended enormous resources and wherewithal on beautification, painting, rebranding, reconstruction and general uplifting of Lagos Island CBD axis to ensure that serene and conducive environment is in place for businesses to thrive. But street trading and closure of major roads within the business district by traders have made nonsense of the huge resources spent by the State Government”.
“It is very disheartening that traffic situations within the Island Business District have been worsened by the activities of commercial bus and cab operators as well as private car owners who park indiscriminately within the business district. We are here today to seek your cooperation and have a mutual agreement on how best to tackle the menace of street trading, the extension of shops to the roads and traffic bottleneck within the Lagos Island Business District”, he continued.
Stakeholders, drawn from the Market Leaders, Corporate Bodies, Owners of Plazas, Religious Leaders, Trade Unions, CDAs, Local Government officials, Government and Security Agencies operating within the Lagos Island Business Districts, unanimously agreed to support and work with the State government to tackle environmental and traffic issues bedevilling the business district.
