Lagos State Government has directed event centres and club operators to seek government’s approval seven days before hosting any event or party to avoid being sanctioned.

The State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Frederic Oladeinde, said this in a statement on Tuesday.

Oladeinde said the new directive was a follow-up to an earlier one issued a week ago to event centres and clubs owners who were preparing for an event.

He said the earlier directive had stated that stakeholders in the hospitality industry must first notify Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) before staging their events.

The commissioner explained that the approval would enable LASTMA make adequate traffic management and parking arrangements in and around areas where such events would be holding.

He said it was to prevent unnecessary gridlock.

The commissioner said henceforth any operator that negated the directive would be sanctioned accordingly by the state government.

“It is now mandatory for all event centres/clubs and similar organisations in the state to obtain written approvals or consent from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), at least, one week before the party or event.

“This will allow LASTMA to plan for the management of the events such that, there will be free vehicular movement in and around the venue of the event, without obstructing traffic,” Oladeinde said.

The commissioner noted that illegal parking of vehicles on roads by event attendees and other merry makers had always resulted in gridlocks in the metropolis.

He said with this new arrangement, LASTMA will work with operators to plan for an efficient traffic management during and after such events to ease free flow of traffic.

He urged operators of event centres, clubs and other places of attraction across the state to abide by the rules and regulations of the state.

“Any commercial event centre, club or lounge that fails to obtain written approval from LASTMA for effective traffic planning will, henceforth, be shut down.

“Such may not be re-opened until their owners must have paid the necessary and stipulated fines,” Oladeinde said.

The commissioner said that the relevant sections of the State Traffic Laws that guide the operation of event centres and clubs in the State were still in place.

He warned that the state government would not hesitate to apply the law on any event centre or club that errs.

NAN