Lagos to begin full implementation of parking policy in Q2 2023

The Lagos State Parking Authority says it will commence full implementation of the state government’s parking policy in the second quarter of 2023.

General Manager of LASPA, Mrs Adebisi Adelabu, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday, said already six concessionaires had been approved for the smooth running of the project.

She recalled that after the establishment of the agency last year, its operations only started in April this year, adding that a lot of efforts had been devoted to sensitisation.

She said the Lagos State Government would be creating employment directly with the operation and involvement of concessionaires.

Adelabu said the concessionaires would operate the parking spaces around Ikeja, Surulere, Apapa, among others, adding that there would be a certain place where one could park within a given period of the day.

Even as the GM admitted that those running foul of the parking policy would be made to pay for their offence as from the Q2 of next year, she stressed, “This is not a revenue generating agency. What is really important to us is that we change the habit of how we treat parking.”

She added that people had been paying for parking long before now in Lagos but nobody bothered about who they paid to.

The LASPA boss said that the government felt it was important to put a face to unauthorised collection of parking fees, adding that there was a need to change the habit of parking cars around in Lagos.

Adelabu said that the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, gave his approval for the project because of his concern for creating a well designed and coordinated parking management system for “the Lagos of our dream”.

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

Adelabu said, “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.”

She said inappropriate parking was contributing largely to traffic congestion.

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

“We are working with the local governments to achieve the mandate in terms of parking ,” Adelabu said.

She also said that the LASG was working towards decongesting gridlock on Lagos road by investing in multimodal transportation.