Lagos State Government has threatened to arrest drivers of unpainted commercial buses plying any road within the metropolis without route number.

It has also transport groups, religious and educational institutions against arbitrary use of colours for commercial vehicles other than approved colours.

Law enforcement agents have therefore been directed to impound such vehicles.

The state government, which issued the warning in a statement through the state Ministry of Transportation, said every arrested driver risked a fine of N50,000 under a new resolve by the state government to sanitise the operation of commercial vehicles in the state.

The state's Commissioner for Transportation, Prof. Bamidele Badejo, in the statement, obtained on Tuesday, said the action became necessary in order to regulate human conduct, achieve social balance and harmony between man and his environment and ultimately to protect lives and property.

The statement, which was signed by the Chief Press and Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Sina Thorpe, said the state government frowned at the practice of adopting different colour codes by some transport unions and institutions different from the approved ones.

Bamidele, however, stressed that owners or operators of inter state commercial vehicles were free to choose any state approved colour, which their vehicles plied, provided 'Inter State' is boldly written at the rear of the vehicles.

The commissioner also warned drivers of such inter state vehicles not to drop or pick passengers at any of the designated bus stops, except their approved motor parks.

The statement quoted Badejo as urging "operators of inter and intra state commercial vehicles, educational institutions and unions who usually allocate colours to commercial vehicles to desist from such unlawful act or face the full wrath of the law."

He also advised those that would want to go into transportation business in the state on the need to obey the rules and regulations, stressing that "there is no exception from the law."