By Uche Nnadozie
Founded on 15 July 2000 by the then Governor Bola Tinubu, Lagos State Transport Management Agency (LASTMA) has blazed the trail in traffic management nationwide. In the period, it has emerged the go-to agency to learn about urban traffic management by various sub-national and national officials.
There’s no doubt about the impact the agency has made over the years. Helping to populate the public space with traffic officers since the police traffic department publicly referred to as ‘Yellow Fever’ and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) did not have enough numbers to help with commuting in the most urbanized state in Nigeria.
LASTMA, whose primary duty is to ensure free flow of traffic and reduce road accidents has done commendably well in this regard.
But like every other human organisation, the agency has suffered from lukewarm public confidence in the last 23 years, principally arising from activities of some of its operatives. These operatives, acting on their personal interests have brought the organisation into a level of disrepute through extortion and sometimes misapplication of the rules.
It is in the light of this that the recent creation of a toll free line, love interactive website and whistleblower app will help to bolster public confidence once again as envisaged by the founding fathers of LASTMA is welcome.
The game changer initiative inspired by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will hold the bull by the horns. It will help to address inadequacies occasioned by lapses at operational level. This time, the commuting public has nothing to fear in highlighting any misdemeanor by LASTMA officials.
As an agency that interacts with the public at the very delicate moments of their commuting lives, this initiative which leverages technology clearly highlights that LASTMA has become confident of its ability to address everyday complaints as they strive to serve the public better.
In one day, LASTMA, as an accountable agency launched a Toll Free Call Centre, Walk In Complaint centre (in their Oshodi office), Whistle Blower App, live interactive website and New Department of Statistics Research and Data, which aims to boost communication between the public and the traffic management authority, simplify traffic operations, and significantly improve the overall driving experience across the state.
Indeed, it’s a new day in the public life of every road user in Lagos. What this implies is that Lagosians now have the right to file complains, report erring officers through the whistleblower app in a manner that protects your identity. And the seamless process ensures fast resolution of issues when they arise.
The toll free line is 080000527862. You can call in from 8am to 10pm everyday.
On the development, the Special Adviser on Transportation, Sola Giwa noted that the launch of these new services will boost public engagement, public trust and encourage citizens to participate actively in traffic management efforts.
There are other LASTMA customer support centres, they include: X.com handle, @followlastma and another tool free number 080000LASTMA.
The free lines are to handle the commuting public’s complaints, file whistleblower reports, report accidents, traffic situation and make general inquiries.
This feedback mechanism is essential in creating a safer and more efficient transportation network. By using the toll-free line, it will afford the state the opportunity to improve traffic management and ensure a smoother experience for everyone.
The first of its kind in Nigeria, a continuous improvement like this no doubt puts the power in the hands of the people. This is a major public relations activity by a government agency by deploying technology to achieve a win-win for all stakeholders with a bid to normalize cooperation and improve service delivery.
The public should therefore take advantage. For Sanwo-Olu, this is another progress as he works doggedly to build on what he met on ground.