The Lagos State Government has announced plans to begin joint enforcement of compulsory identification badges and other regulatory requirements for commercial bus operators, popularly called Danfo drivers and conductors, as part of efforts to improve commuter safety and accountability.
The enforcement drive is being coordinated by the State Ministry of Transportation through its Directorate of Public Transport and Commuter Services, and will involve the Vehicle Inspection Service and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority.
The Director of Public Transport and Commuter Services, Mr Nuhman Edu, said the initiative was designed to enhance commuter security, ensure accountability among transport operators and strengthen compliance with established transport regulations.
He named some of the major compliance gaps the exercise would tackle as improper commuter vehicle registration, missing vehicle body tags, absence of stage carriage permits, and lack of drivers’ and conductors’ badges.
Edu explained that the partnership with VIS and LASTMA would boost the verification of relevant safety documents during routine enforcement operations.
“Where a vehicle is found to be non-compliant, enforcement or compliance procedures will be initiated strictly in accordance with extant laws, regulations, approved guidelines and established operational procedures,” he said.
According to him, proper identification of commercial vehicles, drivers and conductors would make operators traceable, improve accountability, aid investigations involving vehicles allegedly used in criminal activities, and speed up the resolution of commuter complaints.
He said the framework would clearly spell out the responsibilities of the participating agencies across six areas.
These include verification of prescribed PTCS documents, recording of vehicle compliance status, identification of violations, initiation of enforcement or corrective measures, information exchange and data-sharing, and referral of cases requiring further administrative or regulatory action.
Edu stated that commuter safety and security remained the main reasons for tightening the regulation of public transportation in the state.
He added that the ministry would engage transport unions and associations through stakeholder meetings, media campaigns and sensitisation programmes to make sure operators understood the requirements.
The director further disclosed that the ministry had resolved to introduce continuous monitoring, evaluation and assessment of compliance levels across the state. This, he said, would be supported by reporting and feedback mechanisms to ensure that regulatory gaps are identified and resolved promptly.
