LASTMA Launches “Traffic Mayor” Initiative, Inducts Media Practitioners to Promote Order on Lagos Roads

LASTMA Launches “Traffic Mayor” Initiative, Inducts Media Practitioners to Promote Order on Lagos Roads

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has launched a new initiative called the “Traffic Mayor” programme, inducting media practitioners to support officers in promoting traffic order, safety, and mobility across the state.

Speaking at the inauguration, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the initiative as a groundbreaking effort to strengthen public compliance and reorient road users’ behaviour through media advocacy.

According to him, the newly inducted Traffic Mayors will serve as ambassadors of road discipline, using their platforms to enlighten motorists, amplify traffic advisories, and counter misinformation. He explained that their involvement would complement LASTMA’s enforcement duties by encouraging voluntary compliance from the public.

“This initiative is a deliberate attempt to broaden stakeholder engagement by bringing media professionals—whose voices command wide influence—into the campaign for traffic sanity. Their induction as ‘Traffic Mayors’ adds a moral persuasion dimension to our work and will significantly deepen the culture of orderliness on Lagos roads,” Bakare-Oki said.

Also speaking at the event, the Director of Traffic Advocacy and Special Mayor, Mr. Awoyemi Jimmy, commended the initiative as a major innovation in traffic management. He noted that traffic control in a city as complex as Lagos cannot be sustained by enforcement alone but requires strong partnerships with the media and other stakeholders.

He added that the administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu remains committed to implementing solutions that guarantee smooth mobility, enhance economic productivity, and ensure the safety and dignity of Lagos road users.

The Traffic Mayor initiative, according to LASTMA, marks a new phase in traffic governance—bringing together enforcement, advocacy, and public enlightenment under one coordinated approach.

For emergencies, road accidents, or traffic-related concerns, LASTMA advised the public to call its multilingual toll-free hotline 080000527862, available in Yoruba, English, and Pidgin.