LASPA Plans Full Implementation of Parking Policy in 2023

Bennett  Oghifo

The General Manager, Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA) Mrs Adebisi Adelabu, has said that it would commence full implementation of its policies in the second quarter of 2023 to improve the parking culture.

Adelabu, made the disclosure in a briefing as she reeled out the mandate, functions and strategies of the Authority in Lagos on Thursday.

She said that the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu had signed upon to create a well designed and coordinated parking management system for the Lagos of our dream.

She said that LASPA was to assist  Lagos residents to be mindful of parking their vehicles appropriately as this would impact positively on the environment and Lagos roads.

“The Lagos State Parking Authority is an Agency of Government created by law, under the leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, with the core mandate to regulate and manage all forms of Parking, register existing private, public parks and holistically tackle the menace of parking.

“There was need for our establishment to regulate parking because we have Vehicle Inspection Authority (VIS), the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) but  parking is essential to tackle traffic congestion.

“If one really wants to address traffic challenges, we need to start from the parking problem and that is why LASPA was established.

“We are working with the Local Government to achieve their mandate in terms  of parking ,”Adelabu said

She said that the agency was not a revenue generating agency adding that people had been paying for parking since time in memorial in Lagos while nobody knows who they paid to, as it is the norm in Lagos for anyone to collect money.

The LASPA boss said the Government believed it was important to put a fate to unauthorised collection of parking fees adding there was need to change the habit of parking cars around in Lagos.

She said that LASG was working towards decongesting gridlock on Lagos road by investing on multimodal transportation saying that LASPA was created to assist Lagos residents to consider factors attached to parking  cars.

Adelabu said LASPA was established in 2021 and had been taking time to sensitise Lagos residents with various means of communications till the second quarter of 2023 before they began operations.

She said that their would be punity for any offenders when they commence operations, the Lagos State Government would be creating employment directly with the operation and involvement of concessioners.

Adebule said over six concessioners had been awarded to create a parking place around Ikeja, Surulere, Apapa etc, adding that there would be a certain place where one could park within a stated period of time.