Automated payment system to drive proposed Lagos On-Street Parking Scheme

By Moses Akaigwe

The Lagos State Government’s proposed On-Street Parking Scheme, expected to commence before the end of 2026, will operate through a fully automated payment system, with all payments made directly into government accounts.

The scheme will be entirely cashless and will run on a pay-by-plate basis.

This was disclosed to a television station by the General Manager of the Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA), Mrs. Adebisi Adelabu.

Mrs. Adelabu explained that extensive planning is underway to ensure the successful implementation of the scheme, emphasizing the importance of data collection for its efficiency.

“A lot of work has gone into this. We need data to enable us to run an effective pay-by-plate system. So, we want to kick off the scheme with a system that allows us to do that and so much more. It is also going to be cashless,” she was quoted to have said.

As part of efforts to strengthen stakeholder collaboration ahead of the initiative, Mrs. Adelabu had last week paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman of Ikeja Local Government Area (LGA), Comrade Akeem Olalekan Dauda.

During the meeting, she stated that the visit was aimed at sensitizing the llocal government leadership on LASPA’s role in ensuring proper parking management across the state.

She announced the agency’s expansion plans, and discussed the forthcoming On-Street Parking Scheme, under which motorists will be required to pay for parking.

She further informed stakeholders that the pilot phase of the scheme would begin within 2026 in selected local government areas, including Ikeja LGA.

Briefing the Chairman and the  management team, Mrs. Adelabu outlined LASPA’s achievements in parking regulation and noted that while parking management was originally the responsibility of local governments in Lagos, it was later transferred to LASPA by the Conference of the 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas in the state.

The LASPA GM highlighted key benefits of the new scheme, including improved parking management, enhanced traffic flow, and job creation, especially for residents of participating areas.

Mrs. Adelabu also noted that local governments and local council development areas stand to benefit significantly from LASPA’s parking initiatives, depending on their level of support and collaboration in implementing the On-Street Parking Scheme and related strategies.

She reaffirmed LASPA’s commitment to collaboration, stressing that the authority remains open to suggestions and contributions from local governments and other stakeholders to ensure the initiative’s successful implementation and the continued development of Lagos State.

In his response, the Chairman of Ikeja LGA expressed appreciation for the visit and commended LASPA’s efforts in improving parking management across Lagos.

He pledged the support of the local government for effective parking regulation and emphasized the need for increased public sensitization to educate residents on proper parking practices.