By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA) has intensified efforts to restore sanity, improve traffic flow and strengthen road safety across Anambra State, with fresh enforcement measures targeting one-way driving, obstruction of pedestrian walkways, illegal parking and other traffic-related violations.
The latest move by the agency follows the completion and full opening of the dual carriageway along the busy Awka-Onitsha Expressway, which ARTMA says now requires stricter compliance with approved traffic regulations and road usage standards.
In a public notice signed on Monday by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ARTMA, Emeka Konti-Okonkwo, the agency announced that enforcement against one-way driving along the Awka-Onitsha Expressway corridor would officially commence on June 1, 2026.
According to the agency, motorists who drive against the approved direction of traffic on the newly completed expressway would henceforth face severe sanctions in line with the traffic laws of the state.
ARTMA reminded road users that the offence of driving against traffic (popularly known as “One-Way”) attracts impoundment of the offender’s vehicle for three months with no option of fine.
The agency also disclosed that its officers would be strategically stationed at designated U-turn points along the corridor to guide motorists and ensure strict compliance with lane discipline and approved traffic movement.
The Management stressed that the decision became necessary following the full completion of the expressway, noting that continued abuse of traffic regulations on such a major route poses serious risks to lives and public safety.
While urging motorists to cooperate with enforcement officers, the agency emphasized that the measures were aimed at ensuring orderliness, reducing avoidable accidents and promoting safer road use across the state.
In a related sensitization campaign, ARTMA also cautioned motorists against the dangerous habit of ignoring traffic lights at night, warning that such behaviour often leads to fatal crashes and avoidable loss of lives. The agency noted that many drivers wrongly assume traffic lights are only important during daytime, whereas nighttime traffic management is even more critical because of reduced visibility and the likelihood of sudden movement from other road users.
The agency warned that speeding through intersections at night after ignoring red lights could result in devastating collisions involving vehicles, tricycles or unsuspecting pedestrians.
According to ARTMA, traffic lights are designed to regulate movement, prevent confusion and reduce accidents irrespective of the time of the day, stressing that a red light remains a command to stop whether in the daytime or midnight.
The agency further appealed to motorists to exercise patience and prioritize safety over haste, reminding drivers that arriving earlier is never worth risking human lives. It reiterated that motorists should always respect and obey the traffic light, both day and night, irrespective of wether any vehicle is coming from the opposite direction or not.
Beyond the expressway enforcement and traffic light campaign, the ARTMA management has also intensified physical monitoring and enforcement operations across major towns and commercial hubs in the state, to ensure free flow of traffic and reduced risk.
During one of the recent enforcement outings in Awka and Nnewi, the ARTMA Boss, Engr. Konti, was seen personally educating drivers against indiscriminate parking, illegal loading and offloading of passengers outside approved motor parks, especially on pedestrian walkways and also road shoulders.
He also warned truck owners, trailer drivers and operators of articulated vehicles against abandoning or parking heavy-duty vehicles alng busy roads, noting that such practices shrink road space, obstruct free flow of traffic and endanger other road users.
The agency equally frowned at the growing trend of converting pedestrian walkways into trading areas and private extensions of residential or commercial premises.
At one of the locations visited in Nnewi, ARTMA demolished unauthorized barricades erected on a pedestrian walkway after reports were gathered about how the obstruction was forcing pedestrians onto the expressway and exposing them to danger.
Speaking during the exercise, Engr. Konti-Okonkwo maintained that no individual has the right to convert public walkways built for pedestrians into personal property or business spaces.
He said the enforcement action was part of ongoing efforts by the administration of Chukwuma Charles Soludo to build a safer, cleaner and more organized Anambra State where traffic regulations and public infrastructure are respected.
The ARTMA Boss further assured residents that the agency would sustain routine patrols and monitoring across different parts of the state to ensure compliance with traffic laws and proper use of public infrastructure.
Recall that the ARTMA MD, Engr. Konti, was reappointed by Governor Soludo on Monday, April 4 alongside two other reappointed MDs who headed their respective agencies in his first term, following his outstanding performance and track records of aggressive traffic management initiatives during the governor’s first tenure.
Since his reappointment, the ARTMA Boss has kicked off his service with renewed vigour and vision, while also intensifying his efforts towards championing stricter enforcement, public sensitization and urban traffic reforms aimed at reducing congestion, improving road safety and supporting the broader vision of a more modern and organized Anambra State.
