The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has inaugurated a new initiative that brings media professionals into the heart of traffic management in the state. Under the scheme, select media practitioners have been inducted as “Traffic Mayors” to complement the work of LASTMA officers in advancing an integrated and orderly transportation system across Lagos.
Speaking at the inauguration, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare Oki, described the initiative as a groundbreaking milestone in traffic governance.
“This initiative is a deliberate and far-sighted attempt to broaden the frontiers of stakeholder engagement by embedding media practitioners as active participants in the crusade for traffic sanity,” he said.
“Their induction as Traffic Mayors augments the moral suasion dimension of our operations and will significantly deepen the culture of voluntary compliance among motorists,” he added.
Mr Bakare Oki stressed that the media holds an irreplaceable role as “both architects of public consciousness and catalysts for societal transformation,” noting that their involvement will give traffic advocacy greater visibility and impact.
Under the arrangement, the Traffic Mayors are expected to work closely with LASTMA officers by sensitising motorists, amplifying traffic advisories, countering misinformation, and serving as role models of orderly road use.
The Director of Traffic Advocacy and Special Mayor, Mr Awoyemi Jimmy, hailed the initiative as “an administrative innovation of monumental consequence.”
He said, “Traffic management in a labyrinthine megacity such as Lagos cannot be sustained through enforcement alone, but must be anchored on enduring partnerships with thought leaders, media vanguards, and civic stakeholders.”
Mr Jimmy affirmed that the Lagos State Government under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu remains committed to deploying multifaceted solutions that guarantee seamless mobility, stimulate socio-economic productivity, and protect the dignity of road users.
He added that the Traffic Mayor initiative marks “a new epoch where enforcement, advocacy and mass enlightenment converge under a singular banner of orderliness, safety and progress.”
LASTMA urged residents to take advantage of its multilingual toll-free hotline 080000527862 for prompt response to road accidents, emergencies or traffic concerns. The service is available in Yoruba, English and Pidgin.
