Lagos Govt. Removes 311 Danfo, Other Buses Off Roads
By Monsurudeen Olowoopejo
No fewer than 311 rickety commercial buses popularly called Danfo and others have been removed from Lagos roads by the state’s Vehicle Inspection Service, to protect commuters.
The buses, according to VIS, were removed after discovery and during renewal of their permits by it’s officials across the state in 2023.
This was disclosed by the Director of Vehicle Inspection Service, Akin-George Fashola, while responding to feedbacks on a live radio programme in the state.
He reiterated this when listeners alleged that the VIS only go after erring private vehicles, leaving the commercial vehicles out of their enforcement operations.
Clearing the air, Fashola stressed that commercial buses are not spared but are only handled with caution for safety of passengers and other road users, saying the VIS and other Enforcement Agencies have continued to apprehend and impound rickety commercial motor vehicles, adding that such vehicles are recommended to be dismembered by the owners.
He further revealed that about 311 commercial vehicles have been impounded from January 2023 to date through their body tags, a move he said is part of efforts by the State Government to ensure the safety of lives of residents, especially commuters.
On the Automatic Number Plate Recognition, (ANPR) Camera and the Traffic Management Solution, (TMS) device deployed by the State Government in compliance with traffic laws and regulations, Fashola said the initiative has reduced the interface between Traffic Enforcement Officers and Motorists, adding that the technology is a win-win procedure for both the Law Enforcement Officers and Motorists as the regular arguments on traffic laws violation will be put to rest through detailed recordings.
The Director assured that VIS Officers are compliant with the State Traffic Laws and would not exert any action outside what is stipulated in the law.
