Lagos withdraws order stopping fuel stations from after-4pm sales

The Lagos State Government has withdrawn the order stopping filling stations on the state’s highways from dispensing fuel by 4.00pm.

The government had on Thursday, despite biting fuel scarcity, ordered all filling stations on the state’s highways to operate between 9.00am and 4.00pm each day.

But a statement issued by the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde on Friday, said government had noticed the reactions generated by its directive to major and independent petroleum marketers operating on major roads.

He said the measure was to stop the traffic congestion that had resulted from their activities and that it was not to compound the hardship motorists and commuters had experienced because of the lingering fuel shortage.

“Following assurances from some of the offending filling stations, the 9am to 4pm restriction will no longer be enforced.

“For the avoidance of doubt, filling stations are not restricted from doing their business, but fuel marketers have a responsibility to ensure that their activities do not cause any disruption whatsoever to traffic flow. It is against the law to impede the free flow of traffic on our roads.

“Traffic Management Agencies have been directed to invoke the law should any marketer be found to have allowed queues on its premises spill onto major roads in a disorderly manner that impedes traffic flow,” Oladeinde said.