The Lagos State Government has inaugurated five Mobile Court buses for road traffic offenders, with a pledge to end impunity on the roads.
The Chief Judge of the State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade and the State’s Attorney General, Kazeem Adeniji, restated their commitments to ridding Lagos of recklessness and impunity on the roads at the inauguration of the Mobile Courts on Friday.
The inauguration was held at the premises of the High Court in Ikeja, the capital of the state.
Justice Atilade pointed out that flagrant disregard and violation of traffic rules with impunity was unacceptable. She, therefore, urged the people of the state to discourage and condemn the act.
The Chief Judge also disclosed that the judiciary remained committed and would stop at nothing to back the initiative of the State Government.
The Attorney General, on his part, said that the Mobile Courts would facilitate prompt and immediate trial of road traffic and environmental offenders.
Offenses to be tried by the Court include; driving against traffic, refusing to obey traffic signs like Zebra Crossings and Traffic Lights indications, crossing the highways where Pedestrian Bridges are provided, driving on the BRT by non-designated vehicle and parking at undesignated places, commercial buses on motion with their doors open thereby endangering lives of both their passengers and other road users, noise pollution and street trading amongst others.
He expressed hope that the reduction in the commission of these traffic offences, would determine how much Lagos had progressed as a civilised society.
The State Attorney General also said that the Courts would be presided over by Magistrates and that there would be prosecutors from the Ministry of Justice and defence lawyers from the Office of the Public Defender (OPD), who would be readily available to defendants who so desire.
