Lagos Begins 24-Hour Traffic Control, Clears Illegal Structures Ahead of Yuletide Rush

The Lagos State Government has activated a full-scale, round-the-clock traffic management and enforcement operation across the city, as part of a major pre-festive season intervention to curb congestion, restore order, and remove unlawful structures obstructing key transport routes.

Branded “Operation Ember Months Stability,” the initiative is being led by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), which has now stationed officers at strategic intersections, express corridors, and nightlife hotspots to maintain uninterrupted traffic flow throughout the ember months.

The move targets notorious choke points such as Ikorodu Road, Apapa–Oshodi Expressway, Lekki–Epe axis, and Agege Motor Road, with authorities warning that reckless driving, illegal parking, and roadside trading will attract immediate sanctions.

Alongside traffic control, a joint task force involving LASTMA, KAI, LAMATA, the police, LAWMA, and other state agencies has begun a large-scale cleanup and demolition exercise, clearing hundreds of shanties, abandoned vehicles, and makeshift settlements under bridges in Apapa, Ijora, and Costain. Officials say weapons were recovered during the operation, describing the discovery as proof of the security threat posed by the encroachments.

Commercial bus drivers previously operating from illegal roadside terminals have now been moved to approved motor parks, while LAMATA has been instructed to convert the freed-up spaces into regulated transport hubs as part of Lagos’ urban renewal drive.

The state also highlighted recent emergency responses by LASTMA’s rescue unit, including the containment of two fatal truck accidents at Kara Bridge and Otedola Bridge, where rapid towing operations prevented further casualties and worsening gridlock.

Authorities say the combined enforcement will remain in force through the festive period to maintain order, protect commuters, and sustain the state’s ongoing transport reforms.