The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has called for closer collaboration with the media to enhance traffic management and promote safer road use throughout the state.
Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, General Manager of LASTMA, made the call while reviewing the agency’s engagement with the media in 2025, commending journalists for their professionalism and sustained support in covering the authority’s activities.
Bakare-Oki described the media as a critical partner in effective traffic management, noting that consistent reportage across print, broadcast and digital platforms has helped project LASTMA’s statutory responsibilities, operational interventions and public service mandate.
According to him, media coverage has significantly boosted public awareness, strengthened confidence in traffic management policies and encouraged better compliance with traffic regulations. He added that feedback from journalists, often reflecting public opinion and expert analysis, has been largely positive and constructively critical, helping the agency refine its policies and improve operational efficiency.
“The media has remained an indispensable partner in our public enlightenment and behavioural reorientation mandate,” Bakare-Oki said. “Beyond information dissemination, the analytical depth and constructive critiques from media practitioners have enriched our policy discourse and reform processes.”
He also highlighted the ‘LASTMA Media Mayors’ initiative, which integrates journalists into the practical workings of traffic management operations across Lagos. The initiative, he explained, has enhanced transparency, strengthened stakeholder engagement and improved the quality of reportage through first-hand insights.
Bakare-Oki stressed that the increasing complexity of urban mobility in Lagos requires more strategic media collaboration, particularly in promoting voluntary compliance with traffic laws and ensuring the timely dissemination of real-time traffic information to road users.
On operational performance, the LASTMA boss disclosed that over 1,800 personnel were deployed under the ‘LASTMA 24-Hour Night Gangs’ initiative during the 2025 “Detty December” festivities. He said the round-the-clock deployment eased congestion on major routes, reduced night-time traffic violations and improved road safety during the period.
He reiterated that effective traffic governance in a megacity like Lagos depends on firm enforcement, active public cooperation and responsible media engagement, adding that sustainable success can only be achieved through collective responsibility.
Bakare-Oki reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to transparency, professionalism and stakeholder engagement, expressing optimism that the New Year would usher in a stronger and more impactful partnership with the media toward achieving safer and more orderly roads in Lagos State.
