In recent weeks, Lagosians have witnessed a disturbing rise in fatal road accidents involving trucks and articulated vehicles along major commercial roads. These tragic incidents, resulting in the loss of innocent lives, have once again drawn public attention to an ongoing issue: why are trucks still allowed to operate during daytime hours despite existing restrictions?
As we mourn the dead and comfort the bereaved, it is critical to explore the legal framework governing truck movement in Lagos and ask: Are the laws being enforced, or are lives being lost due to deliberate neglect?
The Lagos State Road Traffic Law, 2012 (Law No. 4 of 2012) was enacted as part of efforts to restore order and reduce carnage on Lagos roads. It addresses a wide range of road safety issues, including truck and trailer regulation.
Section 2(1) of the Law provides:
“No trailer, other than petrol tankers and long vehicles used in conveying passengers, shall be on the road within the metropolis between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.” This is a clear prohibition. With the exception of critical service vehicles such as fire trucks, petrol tankers, and articulated passenger buses, the movement of trucks and trailers within metropolitan Lagos during the day is unlawful.
Section 2(2) goes further:
“Any person who contravenes the provision of this section commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of Fifty Thousand Naira (₦50,000) or a term of imprisonment for six (6) months or both.”
Despite these legal restrictions, trailers continue to dominate Lagos roads during peak hours, often driven recklessly and without regard for human life.
There has been recent enforcement failures and Government promises concerning truck restrictions. The Lagos State Government has made repeated pronouncements on truck restrictions, most notably in 2021 and again in 2024, when it declared that container-laden trucks and tankers must operate strictly between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. However, poor enforcement continues to plague the implementation of this regulation.
The Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and the Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences have the mandate to ensure compliance, yet citizens frequently report seeing trucks on the road during restricted hours.
The recent spate of accidents, including the heartbreaking incident involving school children at Ojodu in 2023 and the death of dispatch riders in 2025 raises the question: Is the Government doing enough to enforce its own laws?
The rationale for restricting the movement of trucks during the day is grounded in public safety and traffic efficiency:
- Visibility and Space: Trucks have significant blind spots and require more space to Daytime traffic congestion increases the likelihood of collisions.
- Vulnerable Road Users: Commercial roads in Lagos are densely populated with pedestrians, cyclists, school children, and informal Trucks operating in these environments pose unacceptable risks.
- Emergency Response: Accidents involving trucks often require cranes or emergency rescue vehicles, which are harder to deploy during traffic-heavy daytime
While the law is clearly on the books, the ongoing tragedies suggest that enforcement is the bigger problem, not legislative gaps. State authorities must not only commit to stricter enforcement through arrests and prosecutions but also use technology like road surveillance cameras and vehicle tracking to hold violators accountable.
There is also an urgent need to review and implement stricter vehicle roadworthiness protocols. Many of the trucks on Lagos roads are poorly maintained, overloaded, and driven by inadequately trained operators.
The Lagos State Road Traffic Law, 2012, clearly restricts the daytime movement of trailers and long vehicles, with specific penalties for violators. Yet, without committed enforcement and political will, the law remains merely symbolic.
As legal practitioners, lawmakers, and concerned citizens, we must ask hard questions about the value of Nigerian lives and what our Government is willing to do to protect them. Truck-related deaths are not “accidents” in the true sense, they are preventable tragedies that result from regulatory failure.
It’s time the law stopped being ignored. Every life lost is one too many!
