NEWS FLASH: Atilo Atide, We’re back on Lagos roads, VIS tells motorists

The Vehicle Inspection Service in Lagos State says its officers are back on Lagos roads to carry out its statutory life-saving mandate through enforcement of motor vehicles’ roadworthiness.

The Director of VIS, Mr Akin-George Fashola, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Thursday.

He said residents of the state, especially road users, thought the Vehicle Inspection Officers were off the roads.

Former Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, had banned the VIOs from operating on the roads over reported excesses.

But Fashola said, “Since the advent of this administration, citizens still believe that VIS or VIOs are still off the roads.

Related: These Are The Duties and Functions of LASTMA, VIO and FRSC Officers

“As a matter of fact, we are back on the roads to do the needful. We have embraced a lot of new practices and procedures. We have embraced technology and that still needs the presence of VIOs on our roads in Lagos where technology is limited.

“The presence of VIOs is required, so we are on the road. A lot of people still believe that we are still under the previous ban from the road.’’

According to him, the period of the ban was for the vehicle inspectors to strategise and return with fresh ideas and ways of performing their duties.

He said for the entire period the VIS was off the road, most drivers and vehicle owners became careless about roadworthiness, particulars and conditions of their vehicles.

“Some of the citizens are having difficulties with us being on the road now and we are also having difficulties with them because they don’t want to believe that we are back on roads,’’ the VIO boss said.

Fashola said only 50 per cent of vehicles in the state were roadworthy.

See The New Look Of Agric-Isawo Road, Ikorodu As Rehabilitation Continues - PHOTOS

Work resumes on Agric-Isawo Road, Ikorodu as promised by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The Agric-Isawo Road has been a hellish place for motorists and residents especially when it rains. The State Govt has decided to intervene by mandating Hi-Tech back to work which they have done and started the road rehabilitation. 

AutoReportNG got some exclusives of these roads and how they are working round the clock to see that they finish the road on time. 

Check out the road construction below...

Lagos State Govt Donates 25 New Patrol Vehicles Into RRS Fleets - PHOTOS

Lagos State Government through the State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) today handed over 25 patrol vehicles to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).

The vehicles were this afternoon handed over to the new State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumusu at the State House, Alausa, Ikeja.

Presenting the vehicles on behalf of the Chairman and Board of the fund, the Executive Secretary, Abdulrrazaq Balogun stated that the vehicles were part of the periodic injection of additional vehicles to enhance the operational coverage and increase their visibility of police in the state.

Balogun added that the provision of additional vehicles would assist the police in combating crime, especially at the yuletide period when a crime is always on the rise.

He noted that the fund appreciated the strides of RRS in combating crime in the state adding that the feedback it has been getting from Lagosians on the assistance of the squad has been very positive. He added that the funds would continue to support the squad.

He thanked the donors for supporting the funds and members of the Nigerian Police Force for committing their lives towards the safety of lives and property of the people.

Receiving the vehicles, the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu assured that the police would make judicious use of the vehicles.

He stated that the handing over of the vehicles would serve as a challenge to the police to ensure that the lives and property of people are protected at all times.

He thanked funds but also solicited for more logistics to enhance the operational performance of the police in the state.

RRS Rescued Bus Driver Who Got Sick While On Motion On 3rd Mainland Bridge - Photos

Also in attendance were the Commander, Rapid Response Squad, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu and Assistant Commissioner of Police Adewale Ajao.

GAC Motors Plans To Establish A Vehicle Assembly Plant In Lagos

Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC Motors) will be visiting Lagos State to study the viability of establishing a Vehicle Assembly Plant.

The development followed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s visit to the Chinese automobile firm’s headquarters in Guangzhou, where the Lagos helmsman held a business meeting with GAC’s management team.

The Governor, who is on a working visit to China, inspected the automobile manufacturing company’s factories, research and development centres as well as its training facilities.

Moved by the huge jobs potential of a similar facility in Lagos, Sanwo-Olu advised the company to consider building an assembly plant in Lagos.

He said: “I am excited at what I have seen in the course of my tour of your facility and I can assure you that there is a huge market for auto brands in Lagos State. We have a population of over 22 million people, and Lagos is the most prosperous city in Africa, with our economy ranking as the 7th largest in Africa.

“On the government side, I think now is the right time for you to come to Lagos because we will support you. There is a free trade zone you can locate your factories and Lagos has a pool of highly talented and innovative people that can provide a steady workforce supply for your operations in our State.”

Sanwo-Olu said his administration’s commitment to business innovation and process review was acknowledged by the World Bank as major drivers of Nigeria’s 15 places upward movement in the Ease of Doing Business Index.

GAC Group chairman Mr. Zeng Qihong, at a meeting, said the Group was considering expanding its business in international markets.

He said: “With the Governor’s invitation, we are quite confident and encouraged that coming to Lagos would be exciting. We will look into the process of establishing an operation base in Lagos after our international business department has visited to carry out a visibility study of the market. We are optimistic about coming to Lagos because of the market size and the significance of the economy to Africa.”



Lagos State Governor, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu presenting the business case for GAC Motors Group to locate a factory in Lagos to the management of the company in Guangzhou, China yesterday.

At the meeting were top management members of GAC Motors, including the President of the company, Mr. Feng Xingya, General Director Zhang Yuesai, Director for International Business Mr. Yu Jun and Regional Sales Director for African Region Kamel Zheng.

It is anticipated that GAC Motors operations in Lagos will contribute to the development of the State’s economy and encourage technology transfer between China and Lagos.

GAC Group is ranked 189 on the list of Fortune 500 companies. The company’s total revenue for 2018 was $53bn and profit $10bn. In 2018, the GAC brand passenger car exports accounted for 70% of China’s passenger car exports to Nigeria. It has a national brand store and service centre in Nigeria, and recently completed its first SKD factory in the country.

Policemen Driving Against Traffic Crush Two Okada Passengers To Death In Ogun State - PHOTOS

Some policemen allegedly driving against the traffic, on Monday, crushed two motorcycle passengers to death on the Long Bridge end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State.

The motorcyclist was also said to have sustained injuries during the crash involving a white Toyota Hilux pickup van with number plate GGE 960 DD and a Bajaj motorcycle with number plate MEK 418 VH.

According to eyewitnesses, the policemen in the patrol vehicle took to their heels after the accident occurred around 10.50am, while emergency responders, who rushed to the scene, took the injured victim to the hospital.

The remains of the deceased were said to have been deposited in the Lagos State Emergency Centre at the old tollgate area.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “When the accident happened, the policemen ran out of the vehicle and jumped off the bridge and ran away. No one could catch them.”

At the scene of the accident, other commercial motorcyclists, while mourning the death of the victims, threatened to burn the van.

During the rescue operation, a Federal Road Safety Corps official, who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “We got the distress call and we came down to the scene, but before we got here, we realised that the people around had done the rescue.”

     Read: Lagos Gov., Sanwo-Olu Apprehends Traffic Defaulters At CMS, Apogbon Bridge - Photos

When contacted, the Sector Commander, FRSC, Ogun State, Clement Oladele, said one of the three victims involved in the accident died.

Oladele stated, “Three people were involved in the accident, one died and the two injured victims were rescued to the Lagos State Emergency Centre, Ojota. The corpse of the dead victim was deposited in the hospital’s mortuary.

“The suspected cause of the accident was route violation as the driver of the vehicle was speeding while driving against the traffic. The vehicles involved were a white Toyota Hilux pickup van with number plate GGE 960 DD and a Bajaj motorcycle with number plate MEK 418 VH.”

However, the spokesperson for the police in Ogun State, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said two passengers died, while the motorcyclist sustained injuries and was rushed to the hospital, where he is responding to treatment.

He said the vehicle involved was registered and branded, adding that it had been impounded and the owner/driver would be traced and made to face justice.

Oyeyemi said driving against the traffic was a serious offence and security agents were not allowed to do so except in emergencies, and such vehicle would be a security vehicle or an ambulance, which must carry a sign that would alert people to the emergency.

He added that investigation into the accident was ongoing and gave an assurance that the driver would be identified, arrested and prosecuted, adding that the Commissioner of Police in the state had directed that everything possible must be done to apprehend those involved, whether they were policemen or ordinary citizens.

READ: Arrest On Delivery Bikes: Lagos State Government Takes Its Stand

An Update Into The Lagos Light Rail Projects: The Sights, The Feels And The Vibes

The Lagos Light Rail Project may go in history as the longest time ever taken to complete a rail in Africa and even if possible in the world. Its almost getting to 13 years and nothing tangible can be said of this project. The contractors are still at Eko Bridge battling with the pillars while the ones at Orile, Mile 2, Iganmu are been taken over by hoodlums and street traders.

The Lagos Rail Mass Transit is an urban rail system being developed and under construction in Lagos. The system is being managed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and is envisioned to consist eventually of seven lines. The railway equipment including electric power, signaling, rolling stock, and fare collection equipment will be provided by the private sector under a Concession Contract. LAMATA is responsible for policy direction, regulation, and infrastructure for the network.

The first section of the network, Phase I of the Blue Line, was originally planned to be completed in 2011. After many delays caused by funding shortfalls, the opening date was revised to 2022.

The mass transit rail project called the Blue Line awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation had suffered many delays due to the paucity of funds and other challenges. The Lagos Light Rail started 2008, same time Ethiopia started its railway and so far, they have been at the same location for the past four years.

For some of us who ply through Eko-Bridge, Leventis and Apogbon area regularly, you must have noticed some giant beams which are built close to the main bridge. The bridge belongs to the Lagos Light Rail, this is the carriage for the train that will stop at CMS.

In an exclusive reportage monitored by AutoReportNG, we took a trip from Idumota all through the location of this construction to see how they were working and we can report that work is truly on-going but at a slow pace. The spokesman of CCECC while talking on CCTV News said the challenges they are having with the bridge has to do with the strong current and waves from the ocean. According to him, the waves are strong that they wash anything they placed on it, he said, they were only able to work for 20minutes in a day. The waves are calmer during the evening period which they had to rush to quickly work before night comes.

AutoReportNG observed that some of the infrastructures that are already completed like those in Mile 2, Orile, Iganmu are already decaying, some have turned to a hideout for criminals as no one uses them save for mad people who have turned the place to home. Orile, for instance, has turned to a place where the miscreants sleep at night, the under bridge has to turn to refuse dumb among others. Even those at Ijora Olopa en route CMS are still there with nothing going on with them.

It will be recalled that in August 2018, LAMATA signed an agreement with Alstom. As a part of the agreement, Alstom has conducted a review of the rail lines. After the review of the rail project, which should have initiated passenger activity, the state government said the Blue Line, would now be ready for passenger operation by 2022. This deal also plans for the electrification of a portion of the track.

Now that Lagos has a new governor, we hope this will be taken care of as soon as possible and also be a major front burner for him but it seems Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu might not be ready to shoulder the weight of the Lagos Light Rail at least for now.

These are some of the images we got from our tour right from the spot at Eko Bridge close to Leventis at CMS.

This is the prototype