The Lagos State Government has again placed an indefinite suspension on the entire ad-hoc teams of Committee on Removal of Abandoned Vehicles (RAVC) operating in the 20 Local Governments (LGs) and 37 Local Council Development Area (LCDAs) in Lagos State with immediate effect.
This is the second time the committee is being suspended over the high engagement of illegal activities, extortion and embarrassing the state government as touts were recruited to carry out functions of the committee.
The RACV’s earlier suspension was lifted on 30th December, 2021 in view of several appraisals and a review of the operational guidelines of the team by the State Government.
The committee would storm bus stops and tow vehicles whose drivers stopped to drop off friends and others, as well as several other illegalities.
The suspension which was contained in a directive issued to the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde by the Governor of Lagos State as a result of several complaints of extortion and harassment of members of the public by RAVC which is causing embarrassment to the State Government despite several reviews conducted on the operational guidelines of the team.
The government warned that any ad-hoc team found operating after this notice would be handed over to the Law Enforcement Agencies for trial and prosecution in accordance with the Law of the State as captured in the Traffic Sector Reform Law (TSRL) 2018.
The government, while requesting the general public to take note of the order also advised abandoned vehicle owners who hitherto posed as environmental nuisances, security and traffic impediment to remove them from the roads as this directive was not an excuse for the negligence of the Traffic Laws of the State.
