The Lagos State Government has commenced returning impounded vehicles to their owners for free without payment of fines.
Frederic Oladeinde, state commissioner for transportation, said this while briefing newsmen on Tuesday, noting that the exercise commenced last Saturday and is still ongoing.
This is as a result of the cash scarcity caused by the redesign strategy on the country’s currency by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN).
“As part of efforts to scale up the palliative measure, the state government decided to release vehicles that were impounded for minor traffic offenses to their owners and waived the fines,” Oladeinde said.
Oladeinde noted that people who have had their cars impounded due to legal defaults, such as breaking traffic laws and other minor offenses, since the start of the cash crisis are welcome to come retrieve them.
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“There are some people that committed offenses during that period and we understand the fact that money wasn’t easy to come by,” he said.
“Looking at the governor’s magnanimity, the governor has deemed it fit to ensure that people who committed crimes within that period and wanted to pay or couldn’t pay as a result of the shortage of cash, should come and pick up their cars and he has waived the fines.
“All those who have committed a crime within that period should come and pick up their cars, that doesn’t mean people should continue to offend and so right now, what we are doing is to caution them not to commit the offense again.
“Mind you, that does not include major crimes committed. These are just minor traffic offenses that have been committed in Lagos and this is showing empathy and trying to understand that look, we understand how difficult it has been and it is not a reason for us to stop you from making ends meet and hence the governor’s magnanimity.”
“After the cash crunch is over we arrest. What we are doing right now is educating people, like correcting them to just make sure that they don’t commit an offense again, but obviously if you commit a major crime, the law has to take its course,” the commissioner said.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had three weeks ago introduced palliative measures to cushion the effect of the Naira redesign policy which has led to an extreme cash crunch in Nigeria.
“When you look at what the governor proposed, especially during the cash crunch period, we have reduced public transport fares by 50 percent,” Oladeinde added.
“So when you go on our BRTs and all the Lagos state funded public transport, including Lag Ride, we have reduced the fare by 50 percent just to alleviate the suffering of our people.
“Apart from that, moving away from transport, we have opened up food banks in certain areas. So we’re beginning to give out palliative measures just to ensure that people get through this cash crunch period.”
He also remarked on the success of the All Progressive Congress party (APC),on the just concluded presidential election noting that reverse policy will soon be made.
“We’re happy that APC has won at the national level. And we are beginning to see some of these policies being reversed,” he said.
“So we’re hoping that in a short time, life will return back to normal.”
Meanwhile, the minister said transportation would continue to be the backbone of the state’s economy, as the policies the government is implementing will help reposition the transportation system.
He said the government had continued to test-run the Blue Line Rail system, ahead of full operation which would kick off in April as promised by the governor.
“We are opening up the whole public transport arena so that people can have options. So we’re going to continue to encourage the private sector to bring in more profit,” Oladeinde said.
