The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has issued a warning to drivers waiting in queue for petrol at various filling stations not to clog up the roads and impede other road users.
Adebayo Taofiq, the LASTMA spokesperson, reported that the agency’s general manager, Bolaji Oreagba, made this statement on Wednesday while deploying extra officers to monitor traffic in and near filling stations as well as other congested places throughout the state.
Oreagba stated that reports of lengthy lines outside of gas stations caused by drivers parking carelessly and blocking roadways while waiting in line to buy fuel made the deployment necessary.
Less than 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu stated that the “subsidy is gone,” the price of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, at the pump soared to N600 per litre from N195/l in several regions of the nation.
Long lines once again appeared at fuel stations in Lagos, Abuja, Ilorin, Benin, Asaba, Port Harcourt, Kano, Makurdi, and other important cities and metropolitan regions as a result of the development, which also caused a 100% increase in transportation costs.
This is because many petrol stations closed their doors and refused to distribute fuel to drivers, thus reducing the supply of fuel and causing panic and desperation buying at the petrol stations that were open to consumers.
Speaking further, Oreagba expressed displeasure at the “disorderly behaviour” of some drivers, who queued up haphazardly around filling stations, disrupting the free flow of traffic.
He urged petrol attendants and marketers to ensure that products were sold in an orderly manner so as not to infringe on the rights of other road users.
The LASTMA boss said, “Buying fuel is not an excuse to block and impede traffic flow across the state.
“In as much as we want our roads to be free, we do not want fuel queues to constitute a burden for other road users across the state.”
He reaffirmed the significance of effective traffic management in realising Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s seamless multi-modal transportation system.
He also cautioned drivers—as well as the general public—against storing fuel improperly inside of their cars, houses, markets, and places of employment.
“Landlords and tenants should shun inappropriate storage of fuel at homes and public places. Filling stations must equally avoid dispensing fuel in polythene bags to avoid scuffle that can spark off a fire incident,” Oreagba advised.
He insisted that if there was a source of ignition nearby, such as a naked flame or an electrical spark, the public ought to be warned of the possibility of a fire incident or explosion.
