LASTMA deploys drone technology to enhance traffic monitoring in Lagos State

In an effort to enhance free-flow of traffic, reduce accident and improve on travel time, the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) has deployed drone and other forms of technology to enhance traffic monitoring in the state.

This latest development in the operation of LASTMA was made public when a team of newspaper editors and publishers visited the Traffic Management Boss, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, in his office in Lagos on Thursday, January 9, 2026.

Olalekan said, “Part of what we intend to improve upon in 2026 is drone information system. We started deploying drone for over seven months now, 2025 till date.”

Olalekan said the motive of introducing the drone technology was to capture breakdown of vehicles and accidents on the roads, adding that the technology can travel between 10 to 12 kilometers. “The intention or motive is for us to capture real time breakdown or accident on the road.

“I can tell you for free that LASTMA now has a drone that can travel 10 to 12 kilometers. We now deploy drone from the office here up to Third Mainland, Adeniji Adele, we deploy drone from LASTMA head office to tollgate, SevenUp, to capture real time infraction,” Olalekan stated.

Apart from the drone technology, the LASTMA boss said the organisation in 2024 introduced a toll-free line intentionally designed to get feedbacks from the public. “Also in 2024 LASTMA introduced a toll-free line, the agency was intentional about this as well.

“We tried to prioritize feedback from the people and it has really helped us in the work we do.

“The toll-free line is available everywhere, 080000527862, and we have 10 responders that usually pick these calls; the public speak or reach us through English, Yoruba or Pigin, and majority of the complaints are attended to promptly and it has been really helping us in terms of ensuring that we give optimum service delivery to Lagosians,” he added.

Speaking on the importance of technology and deployment of camera in traffic management, the LASTMA helmsman said, “We seriously harp on technology. We started using camera when I assumed office as the General Manager over two years ago; we want to reduce human interference in the engagement of our men in the public as much as possible, that is more reason why we are leveraging on technology.

“Let me give you this figure, for 2026, for physical enforcement, we have an estimated figure of 17,000 plus in terms of those attended physically, but for technology for 2025, we were able to do over 120,000 capturing in terms of technology, while in 2024, what we were able to do in terms of technological enforcement was around 54,000 plus.

“This would underscore the fact that we are actually shifting from physical enforcement to technological based enforcement,” he said.

Olalekan while stressing the usefulness of technology, disclosed that deployment of technology in the operation of LASTMA has reduced court cases which was a problem before the introduction of technology by the agency. “As a result of physical enforcement over the years, it usually leaders to litigations, at times, court cases that lingered for so many years but since we have been leveraging on technology, it has reduced drastically.”