Lagos State Government, Tuesday, placed a ban on the use of sound amplifiers, microphone and other form of sound systems at motor garages and parks across the aimed at curtailing noise pollution as well as ensure noiseless, healthy environment.
The Special Adviser to Governor on Transportation, Oluwatoyin Fayinka, announced this yesterday, at a joint-press briefing organised by the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment through the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA and the Ministry of Transportation, at Alausa, Lagos.
Fayinka, said the measure became necessary following series of public complaints and attendant health hazards pose to residents.
He said government has identified areas where the act is prevalent and vowed to enforce the rules to the latter.
Speaking on the penalty, Fayinka said that any park that flouts the directive would be shut while the transporters and managers of the parks would be dealth with in accordance with the law.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Gaji Tajudeen, said that noise pollution is the most prevalent of the complaints received annually, accounting for 75 per cent of total complaints.
He added that the complaints are mostly anthropogenic, and not limited to transport, religious, commercial, industrial, entertainment, and power generating amongst others sources.
According to him, “noise pollution which is an unwanted sound in excess of the permissible limits has become very prevalent in Lagos environment. The menace is causing stress with severe health implications, while those with long term exposure are more likely to suffer from hearing loss that is detrimental to human health.
“Noise pollution is the major leading public complaints received at the Agency, ranging from the transport sector, religious, commercial and entertainment industry, domestic animals, and power generators among others.
“Adults are believed to be the ones thought to show great concerns from problems associated with noise pollution, but children are quite vulnerable as well, more so as there are no known visible symptoms at early age.
“Citizens are better informed of their rights to a safe and healthy environment following various advocacy programmes of the Agency through electronic and print media.
“The most widely being the social media handles of the Agency and its website,” he said.
The General Manager of LASEPA, Dr Dolapo Fasawe, said from Wednesday (today) it is illegal for any motor park in Lagos to make use of sound amplifiers and other noise-making devices while calling on passengers, saying that any park found doing so would face the wrath of the law.
