The Lagos State Government says it has banned the 911 Mercedes customized commercial buses, popularly known as Molue from plying routes on Lagos Island axis of the Lagos metropolis.

The General Manager, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Engr. Babatunde Edu who disclosed this at a stakeholder’s meeting with the branch chairmen of the Lagos Urban Bus Owners Association of Nigeria,LUBON, the operators of molue buses in the state, said the new directive has become effective.

According to him, the government by this directive, has banned molue buses from crossing any bridge link into the Island, such as Third Mainland, Eko and Carter bridges, as they could no longer operate in the Central Business District, CBD.

He said the decision was taken in its determination to ensure adequate monitoring of the operations of commercial vehicles and compliance with traffic rules and regulations.

Edu said ,“Though the Lagos State Government was supposed to have commenced enforcement last month, but being a responsive and responsible government which believes in enlightenment before enforcement, we therefore decided to shift the enforcement to the 4th of this month”.

He explained that LASTMA had been mandated to ensure strict directive and compliance and impound any such vehicles after 4 September, 2013 that was found to have flouted the directive.

The General Manager added that Molue buses could however perform their operations in any other parts of the state aside the restricted areas, reiterating that government has not banned the operations of molue in the state, but rather it has restricted their operations to areas like Orile, Iyana ipaja, Mile 2, Mile 12 among others and urged operators to voluntarily comply with the new directive.

Taking the operators through the prohibited routes, which included Iddo, Ebute Ero, Apongbon, Obalende, Idumota, CMS, among others, he appealed for cooperation and support of all the stakeholders.

The leader of the team, Engr. Taofeek Adesina in his response commended the government for its effort to restore sanity and order in the State and therefore pledged the readiness of his union to support the new cause.

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