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By Oluwaseun Popoola and Abdulhmeed Oladejo
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has warned children, teenagers and young adults against using rolling skate shoes, wheeled footwear and similar recreational devices on highways and other busy traffic corridors across the state.
The warning was contained in a statement issued by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq.
The Authority said the practice exposes users to serious and avoidable traffic hazards, particularly when they glide alongside moving vehicles, cross carriageways indiscriminately or manoeuvre through traffic without adequate safety measures and adult supervision.
According to LASTMA, public highways are dynamic environments where vehicles, motorcycles, pedestrians and other road users operate simultaneously, making them unsuitable for recreational activities involving wheeled devices.
The Authority advised parents, guardians, schools and caregivers to discourage children and other vulnerable road users from using rolling skate shoes on highways, expressways, bridges, service lanes and other areas where vehicular traffic is permitted.
LASTMA also urged users of such footwear to restrict skating activities to designated recreational areas, private compounds or other suitable locations, while using protective equipment such as helmets, knee pads and elbow pads.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said road safety was a collective responsibility requiring constant vigilance, discipline and respect for the risks associated with public roads.
Bakare-Oki stressed that the preservation of human life must remain paramount, adding that no recreational activity should justify exposing individuals or other road users to unnecessary danger.
The Authority also urged motorists to exercise greater caution around children and young persons using wheeled footwear, particularly in residential areas, estates and school zones where vulnerable road users could suddenly enter the traffic stream.
LASTMA further called on members of the public to report dangerous traffic situations, road obstructions, crashes, vehicle breakdowns and other incidents requiring urgent intervention through its toll-free short code, 767.
The Authority reiterated its commitment to protecting lives, promoting responsible road-user behaviour and ensuring a safer and more orderly transportation environment across Lagos State.
I also corrected the LASTMA emergency-reporting number to 767, which is the Lagos State emergency traffic line, rather than 3367.
