Lagos State Government To Ban Illegal Car Dealers

I got this news today from PM News, and i think it worth discussing because things must not be impose on Lagosians just like that without government seeking the people's opinion.

Read on and share your view with all.

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, has ordered the ban of indiscriminate display of vehicles for sale across the state, with effect from 1 January, 2009.

In a bid to sanitise the sector, Fashola said the state was ready to enforce the motor administration law which provides for registration and regulation of the activities of motor vehicle and motor vehicle spare parts dealers within the state.

Commissioner for Transportation, Prof. Bamidele Badejo, disclosed yesterday, at a stakeholders’ meeting with motor vehicle dealers in the state, that the law would be in force as from 1 January, 2009.

Badejo stated that when the law becomes operational, it would become practically impossible for an unregistered auto dealer to operate in the state, adding that it would become illegal for anybody to personally sell vehicles without going through a registered dealer.

“It will be illegal for anybody to display vehicles on the roadside for sale as such act runs contrary to the town and physical planning as well as environmental laws, apart from providing a ready channel for disposing stolen vehicles.

“On the other hand, members of the public willing to buy a car will be confident that he/she is buying a problem-free product as the dealer is operating under the stipulated law,” he stated.

Badejo disclosed that when the law comes into force, innocent citizens would no longer fall foul of the law for having bought stolen vehicles from unregistered premises and faceless sellers.

“A lot of stolen vehicles have been discovered through the Autoreg system. It is the buyer that is arrested and in most cases, investigation may be inconclusive as the seller may have disappeared.

“We must protect those unsuspecting citizens as well as genuine dealers who are here. Let me say that the state government is out to protect the consumer, not by this law alone, but through another law in the making, now in the State House of Assembly.

“I want to reveal that from January next year, the law will be implemented to the letter and I want to appeal to you to support the government in this direction,” he told the auto-dealers.

Permanent Secretary, Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, Mr. Akin Hanson, also disclosed that as from 1 January, 2008, the agency would stop issuance of change of ownership on any car except it is certified through a registered motor dealer. “We were about to start the implementation of the law, but Governor Babatunde Fashola decided that we should talk about this law with motor dealers first. We want to drive out quacks,” he stated.