Lagos to detain vehicles without license plates

Motorists in Lagos will be arrested when they drive with defective vehicle registration number plates or no vehicle plate numbers.

The law was announced by the Lagos State Government have ordered security agencies to arrest motorists who flaunt the law.

The state government motorists who break this law will be prosecuted as the act violates sections 15 and 16 of the State’s Transport Reform Law 2018.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Abdulhafiz Toriola made the remarks at the weekend.

Toriola said that the covering of number plates without authorisation, the use of faded number plates, the use of damaged number plates, the misuse of number plates and the lack of a number plate all violate the law, especially with the present security challenges facing the nation.

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According to section 16 of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, TSRL, 2018, a person who drives a vehicle that is not registered or does not have an affixed identification mark in the prescribed manner commits an offence.’

Toriola said vehicles without a number can be used to commit crimes that may never be tracked.
“The purpose of using number plate is for proper identification and security as it is personalised for each vehicle,” he added.

Toriola advised motorists to wash the number plates with water and non-chemical to prevent them from being damaged or faded.

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Toriola said that a Temporary Vehicle Tag (TVT) will be issued to motorists unwilling to register their vehicles for one reason or another.

He added that such motorists should get the tag through the  Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, MVAA, of the State in line with section 193 of the TSRL, 2018, pending their final decision on permanent registration or otherwise.

“The Law Enforcement Agencies have the been mandated to apprehend defaulters. I urge vehicle owners to comply with the State Government to strengthen the security architecture already put in place,” Toriola stated.