THE Lagos State Government has commenced the release of impounded vehicles to their owners without payment of fines less than three days to the March 11 Governorship and State Assembly Elections.

The incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is seeking to be re-elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

His two major challengers are Labour Party (LP) candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran.

The State Commissioner for Transportation, Frederic Oladeinde, who announced the release of the impounded vehicles in a statement on Tuesday, February 7, said that the gesture was due to the cash crunch that has hit the nation following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Naira redesign policy.

He said that the move, including reducing public transport fares by 50 per cent and opening up food banks in certain areas in the state, is part of palliative measures introduced by Governor Sanwo-Olu to cushion the effect of the cashless policy on citizens.

While clarifying that some of the impounded and released vehicles were detained for minor traffic offences, he said the exercise commenced last Saturday and is still ongoing.

Oladeinde cautioned that releasing impounded vehicles to their owners without payment of fines did not include major crimes committed during the cash crunch period.

He noted that the government’s magnanimity was aimed at alleviating the suffering of the people who committed minor traffic offences during the period and couldn’t pay the fines due to the cash crunch.

The Commissioner stated that transportation would continue to be the backbone of the state’s economy, noting that the government had continued to test-run the Blue Line Rail system, which would begin full operation in April, as promised by the governor.

He explained that the government is trying to move away from diesel buses, which have been very expensive and made public transportation costs.

The commissioner added that the government was educating people on minor traffic offences and correcting them to ensure they do not commit an such offences again.

However, Oladeinde stressed that the law would take its course for major crimes committed during the cash crunch period.

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