The Chief Judge of
Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, has inaugurated mobile courts
in the state to summarily try traffic offenders and mete immediate
punishments to them where applicable.
With the mobile
courts, which would move around in buses, Atilade said the end had come
to “the era of recklessness and impunity on our public roads and
highways.”
The Chief Judge
regretted that until now unruly road users, who daily cut the lives of
innocent citizens short and caused traffic snarl leading to wastage of
productive hours on the roads, had gone unpunished.
She, however, said the
situation, which she described as unacceptable, would no longer go
unpunished as the mobile courts signified the determination “to fully
enforce the extant traffic laws in the state and take stiffer measures
against road traffic offenders
Atilade said, “Those who chose to make life difficult for
other people, especially on our roads, should have a re-think, as they
would henceforth be held accountable for their deeds.
“Flagrant disregard or violation of traffic rules with
impunity is unacceptable and as such, must be discouraged and condemned
by all.”
The Chief Judge said
the initiative was targeted at curbing the excesses of “those to whom
the laws of the land are of no value.”
She said, “You see
them break traffic rules at will and cause needless traffic snag on our
roads. They also, most often, drove against traffic and beat the traffic
lights, destroy traffic furniture and infrastructure, drive across the
road median and through their lawlessness and irresponsible actions,
daily inflict pains, grieve and sorrow on fellow citizens.
“Businesses are
impeded, as several productive hours are unnecessarily lost in traffic,
mostly due to acts of indiscipline by few recalcitrant and obstinate
drivers and road users, who are laws unto themselves. As we speak, many
have been sent to early graves, while several others are either maimed
or lying critically ill in the hospital.”
Justice Atilade, who
lamented the death of a 25-year-old British Nigerian graduate, Doyin
Fagbenro, who was killed by a reckless commercial bus driver in
Lekki-Ajah area of Lagos, said the story of the victim was just one of
the many deaths occurring as a result of reckless driving and
indiscipline.
She said, “This must
not be allowed to continue. Let it be known to all that the era of
recklessness and impunity on our public roads and highways in Lagos
State is gone.”
Source - Punch News
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