Lagos begins parking permit clean-up, threatens defaulters

The Lagos State Parking Authority has ended its grace period for motorists and businesses operating parking facilities without 2026 permits, warning that defaulters face substantial fines and immediate suspension of operations.

The enforcement began across LASPA’s operational zones on Tuesday following repeated appeals and reminders to registered customers to regularise their parking activities.

The General Manager of LASPA, Adebisi Adelabu, said the authority had given customers sufficient time to comply after distributing 2026 demand notices containing the applicable fees, requirements and procedures for obtaining the permits. She said many customers had nevertheless failed to regularise their operations despite direct communications and the extended grace period.

Adelabu said the enforcement was necessary to bring greater order and accountability to Lagos’ increasingly complex parking environment, insisting that the exercise was not aimed at punishing compliant operators.

“The enforcement exercise is not intended to be punitive, but a necessary measure to restore order, accountability, and efficiency within Lagos’ parking ecosystem,” she said.

The LASPA boss warned that customers who continued to operate without valid 2026 permits would be sanctioned under the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018. “Defaulting customers on the 2026 Demand Notices would be liable to severe penalties, including substantial fines and immediate suspension of operations,” Adelabu said.

She urged affected customers to regularise their operations immediately, saying valid permits and accurate records were necessary for the authority to plan and manage parking infrastructure and services across the state. According to her, the permit system also provides LASPA with records required to monitor parking activities, regulate operators and determine infrastructure and service needs across different parts of Lagos.

The enforcement followed what the authority described as a prolonged compliance window during which customers were allowed additional time to meet their obligations.Adelabu said LASPA had made efforts to ease the process by providing assistance through its personnel, including support for customers using the authority’s online payment and registration platforms.

She urged operators yet to obtain their permits to use the available channels to regularise their activities rather than wait for enforcement action to be taken against them. The authority also appealed to residents, businesses and visitors to cooperate with enforcement personnel and report unauthorised parking activities to LASPA.

The latest enforcement is part of the state’s broader effort to impose greater structure on parking management in Lagos, where pressure on available road space and parking infrastructure has continued to accompany the state’s expanding commercial and residential activities.