Lagos to clamp down on illegal taxi operators- Commissioner

The Lagos government said illegal cabs constituted a security threat.

The Lagos State Government is set to crackdown on illegal operators of taxis in the metropolis, the Commissioner of Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, said on Wednesday.

Mr. Opeifa said at a stakeholders’ meeting in Ikeja that the illegal operation of taxi cabs constituted a security threat in the state.

“We will not tolerate illegal operators of taxi cabs in the state, especially those who do their business in hotels and other public places.

“How can anybody just put a cab on the road and operate it, without approval from the state government?

The practice has serious security consequences and we will clampdown on erring operators,’’ he said.

The commissioner urged those who intended to run taxi business in the state to register with the state government before commencing operations.

Mr. Opeifa said the ongoing registration of owners, drivers and conductors of commercial vehicles was a way of ensuring proper organisation in road transport operation.

He urged those who had not registered with the appropriate authorities to do so before the December 31 deadline.

The commissioner said that the government would start enforcement from January. He said that the government also planned to introduce uniforms for drivers and conductors of commercial vehicles.

He appealed to stakeholders to cooperate with the state government in building a sustainable and efficient transportation system in the state.

(NAN)