A new study has shown that officials of the state traffic management (LASTMA), posted to Ikorodu, have the highest level of high blood pressure, as against their counterparts working in other locations in the state
Mr Kayode Opeifa, the Lagos state Commissioner for Transportation who revealed this at the weekend during a public enlightenment programme on the Traffic law in Ikorodu, said it was due to disobedience of motorists and motorcycle a.k.a okada operators in the route.
The programme which was organised by the Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Sanai Agunbiade, representing Ikorodu I Constituency, was attended by various stakeholders, including government officials, community leaders, law enforcement agencies, drivers and okada operators.
Opeifa said that the state’s ministry of Health had also confirmed the risk the officials were passing through, in trying to decongest traffic on the Ikorodu axis.
“I can emphatically confirm to you that Ikorodu LASTMA officials have the highest level of blood pressure above all other LASTMA officials posted to other locations in the state, due to disobedience to traffic law by road users,” he said.
Meanwhile, the commissioner revealed that since the introduction of the new traffic law, the number of accident victims at Igbobi Orthopedic Hospital and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) has reduced by 60 percent.
He added that arrests made by officials of the traffic management have reduced by 68 percent while the number of people attending the State Drivers’ Institute has also increased by 35 percent since the law came into being.
The lawmaker stressed that the traffic law was meant to regulate vehicular movement in the state and not meant to punish anyone.