The Enugu State Government has unveiled a new Access and Sanitation Taskforce to tackle road obstruction, illegal parking, indiscriminate passenger pick-and-drop, roadside trading and environmental violations across the Enugu metropolis.
The Enugu State Government has announced fresh measures to tackle road obstruction, illegal parking, indiscriminate passenger pick-and-drop and roadside trading across the Enugu metropolis.
The government also directed commercial vehicles and tricycles to use only designated parks for loading and offloading, warning that violators would face sanctions under a new enforcement regime aimed at improving traffic flow, sanitation, security and accessibility.
The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, announced the measures on Wednesday at the Government House, Enugu, during a meeting with stakeholders from the transport, environmental, market and local government sectors.
The development comes amid ongoing efforts by the state government to improve traffic management and road safety across Enugu, including recent sensitisation and enforcement campaigns against roadside trading and traffic violations.
Onyia announced the establishment of an Access and Sanitation Taskforce comprising representatives of relevant ministries, departments and agencies, the three municipal councils, transport unions, market associations and security agencies.
He said the taskforce would commence operations in two weeks, stressing that it was not established as a revenue-generating mechanism but to ensure compliance with the state’s access management policy.
The SSG recalled that one of the first actions of the Governor Peter Mbah administration in 2023 was the issuance of an Executive Order aimed at removing unauthorised barriers and obstructions from roads across the state.
According to him, it would be contradictory for the government to remove physical barricades while motorists and traders create new forms of obstruction on public roads.
“Most of you remember that the first Executive Order at our assumption of office was access management. We said we would remove all obstructions on the roads. We cannot remove those barricades and allow vehicles to form a new kind of barricade on the roads,” Onyia said.
He explained that the initiative also had important security implications, noting that blocked roads could hinder security personnel responding to emergencies or pursuing suspects.
Onyia said vehicles, tricycles and roadside traders apprehended for violating the policy would be taken to the appropriate local government headquarters and would not be released until prescribed conditions had been met.
He disclosed that the government was working with the Attorney-General to finalise penalties, including proposed fines of N50,000 for buses and N30,000 for tricycles.
The SSG added that impounded vehicles would not be eligible for the release process until seven days after apprehension, while offenders would also be required to meet other stipulated conditions, including psychiatric evaluation.
However, Onyia assured roadside traders, especially those dealing in perishable goods, that the government would adopt a humane approach.
He said the taskforce would engage market leaders in developing appropriate sanctions that would serve as deterrents without unnecessarily destroying livelihoods.
The government had earlier suspended daily toll collections from petty traders without lockup shops, describing the affected traders as vulnerable and warning against illegal revenue collection.
Onyia warned that additional measures would be developed for serial offenders in consultation with the Attorney-General.
He also cautioned members of the taskforce against compromising the exercise, stressing that there would be no room for favouritism or interference on behalf of offenders.
“The purpose of this taskforce is not to catch anybody; it is for people to do the right thing,” he said.
The Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, Comr. Chidiebere Aniagu, commended the initiative, saying major and internal roads across the state should remain free for easy movement.
Aniagu pledged the association’s support and assured that its members would comply with the policy to promote a cleaner, safer and more efficient transport system.
Similarly, the State Chairman of the Tricycle Transport Union, Comr. Kingsley Edeh, described the meeting as fruitful and pledged the union’s cooperation towards the successful implementation of the exercise.
Edeh also assured the government of the continued support of tricycle operators and their commitment to Governor Peter Mbah’s re-election bid in 2027.
Speaking after the meeting, the Managing Director of the Enugu State Waste Management Authority, ESWAMA, Richard Onaga, said the sanitation component of the exercise would target persons blocking drainage channels, littering streets and throwing refuse from moving vehicles.
Onaga warned that offenders would face prosecution for environmental violations.
The latest move reinforces the Enugu State Government’s broader efforts to improve mobility, road safety and urban sanitation, with the state also investing in organised transport infrastructure and traffic management systems.
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