Emmanuel ClementÂ
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has inaugurated over 100 LASTMA Mayors to boost grassroots traffic management ahead of the Ember Months and the Detty December festivities.
The colourful Investiture, Rebranding and Induction Ceremony held at the Agency’s headquarters in Lagos, marked a major push to bring traffic enlightenment closer to communities across the state. 
Speaking at the event, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said traffic management cannot be left to government alone.
According to him, sustainable traffic control requires collective ownership, shared responsibility and active participation of citizens.
He said the newly inaugurated Mayors will serve as community liaison ambassadors, helping to sensitise motorists, market leaders, transport operators and residents on traffic discipline and voluntary compliance.
“The initiative is deliberately structured to complement the work of our uniformed officers. It will give us a more integrated and responsive system to handle the expected surge in vehicular movement during the Ember Months and December festivities,” Bakare-Oki said.
He added that the Mayors will support LASTMA through grassroots advocacy, public enlightenment, and dissemination of road safety information in their various communities.
Bakare-Oki also made a passionate appeal to religious leaders across Christian and Muslim faiths to join the campaign for responsible motoring.
He urged pastors, imams and other clerics to use their sermons, fellowships and congregational platforms to preach road safety, pedestrian consciousness and strict obedience to traffic rules.
He specifically warned against driving against traffic (one-way), excessive speeding, reckless overtaking and indiscriminate parking, which he said cause avoidable accidents, deaths and destruction of property.
The LASTMA boss also stressed the need for regular vehicle maintenance, including checks on brakes, tyres, steering, lights and other critical parts, noting that roadworthiness is non-negotiable for safe motoring.
He cautioned that the excitement of the festive season must not turn into traffic indiscipline and preventable tragedies, and urged motorists to be patient, vigilant and law-abiding.
In his remarks, the Director, Traffic Advocacy and Special Mayors, Mr. Awoyemi Jimmy, assured Lagosians of sustained deployment, surveillance, enlightenment and inter-agency collaboration to ensure smooth traffic flow throughout the festive period.
He described the volunteer structure as an additional mechanism to deepen public engagement and promote voluntary compliance with traffic regulations.
Similarly, the Coordinator of the State Mayors of Traffic (SMT), Mr. Tajudeen Othman, assured LASTMA management of the Mayors’ commitment to serve with diligence, integrity and discipline.
He said the Mayors will leverage their community networks to promote traffic enlightenment and complement the Agency’s efforts towards a safer and more orderly Lagos.
