Lagos Taskforce Moves Against Auto Dealers Selling Cars on Roads, Walkways, Lay-bys

• Lagos State government is clamping down on indiscriminate auto dealers who have taken over roads and walkways
• The head of the taskforce stated that such act goes against the Lagos State Masterplan
• He added that offenders will be arrested and prosecuted in competent courts in the state

The Lagos State Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences Unit has finalized preparations to apprehend and bring to justice individuals believed to be unauthorized auto mart dealers operating in non-designated areas throughout the state.

Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, Shola Jejeloye, who serves as the agency’s chairman, revealed this information on Monday, August 14, at the agency’s headquarters situated in the Bolade Oshodi region of the state.

Jejeloye conveyed his apprehension regarding the increasing occurrence and approach adopted by car dealers who have repurposed road setbacks, walkways, lay-bys, gardens, and various unauthorized areas into car sales lots.

It would be recalled that Legit.ng recently reported that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed Executive Orders which stopped the proposed levy on imported vehicles in Nigeria.

Indiscriminate auto marts a deviation from Lagos’ Masterplan

According to Vanguard, Jejeloye emphasized that these transformations deviate from the State Government’s initial Master-Plan.

The head of the task force, characterizing the conduct of certain dealers and transportation operators as lacking consideration, underlined the potential of their actions to endanger the security, tranquility, aesthetic improvement efforts, and the “Greener Lagos” initiative by the Lagos State Government – all for their personal interests.

Jejeloye affirmed that this intervention has become imperative, given that these dealers’ activities have persisted over time, and the moment to curtail them has now arrived.

He said:

Walkways, road setback, lay-bys are meant and created to cater for pedestrians movement and other public use, but nowadays you see cars parked on them with kegs placed on top indicating they are for sale.

This is totally wrong and we are here to put a final stop to it. Cars for sale should be parked at an approved car lots and not by the road side or walkways.

Noteworthy, despite the desire for the purchase of new and second-hand imported vehicles, rising inflation and various government policies have continued to push their costs far from the reach of most Nigerians.

Task force to also move against misuse of registered number plates

The chairman also expressed concern about the widespread misuse of registered number plates intended for motor dealers, which he found disconcerting.

He emphasized that the endeavor to uphold orderliness, tranquility, and livability in our surroundings must be a joint endeavor involving everyone.

Price of Tokunbo cars rises by over 100% in 2 years as FG introduces new taxes

In related news, Legit.ng reported that in the last two years, there has been a substantial increase of over 100% in the prices of imported pre-owned vehicles.

The Nigeria Customs Service has implemented an automated valuation system for foreign automobiles, utilizing the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and made modifications to the permissible vehicle age for entry into the nation, spanning from 2013 to 2014.

Furthermore, the instability in foreign exchange rates has significantly impacted the expenditures of importers involved in bringing Tokunbo cars into the country.

A recent report highlights that the Nigeria Customs Service, during the period of 2013 to 2014, made adjustments to the acceptable age limit for vehicles imported into the nation.

This, coupled with tariff hikes, resulted in a notable decline in the import volume of cars in Nigeria during the initial quarter of 2023.

Source: Legit.ng