Lagos – Thousands of Lagos commuters on Friday trekked long distances to their various officers, shops and markets as a result of persistent traffic gridlock in thhe Metropolis, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
NAN reports that some of the commuters were seen in various locations of Lagos Metropolis trekking to their various locations.
Some commuters were seen at Costain bus stop trekking through Ijora-Olopa to link locations in Lagos Island, especially Idumota, Idumagbo and Tinubu axis
Some of the commuters interviewed, including civil servants, artisans, commercial driver operators, described the day as “hectic.’’
Mr Femi Olanrewaju, a staff of Mutual Benefit Assurance told NAN that he had to disembark from a public bus to trek from Orile to Constain as a result of the gridlock.
Olanrewaju said that government needed an urgent solution to the persistent gridlock on the Apapa axis, as a result of petrol tankers waiting to load fuel from the ports and tank farms.
Also, Mrs Brenda Ebifa, a fashion designer, said that she had to walk from Iponri to her shop at Orile because the gridlock delayed her from getting to her shop at her usual time.
“In advanced countries, trailers and trucks only move around 10:00 pm.
“We don’t know why Nigeria is different; our government has a lot of work to do to ease the traffic situation,’’ she said.
Meanwhile, Mr Sulaimon Farouk, OANDO; Mr Ibrahim Musa, Forte Oil; Mr Abduulai Dan-Kano, MRS; all tanker drivers, appealed to government to rehabilitate and put other fuel depots into use, so that there would not be much concentration on Lagos State.
“There are other fuel depots in other states that no longer function.
“If government can repair and make use of other depots, there will be less concentration on the Apapa depot.
“And the congestion will reduce drastically,’’ the tanker drivers said.
Mr Abiola Adeola, a private car owner, said that he had spent five hours driving on the road since he left Iyana-Iba in Ojo at the early hours of the day, but that the trailers and tankers took over the main expressway without considering the small vehicles.
“In fact, we are tired of this usual traffic congestion we face along this road every day.
“I was on the road for almost five hours without any improvement, I think the situation is now becoming unbearable; we want the government to come to our rescue,’’ Adeola said.
A senior officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that the gridlock was as a result of articulated vehicle drivers disobedience to their instructions to maintain a single queue and leave room for other motorists.
“We have started arranging them, as soon as we are through, the traffic gridlock will reduce,’’ he said.
NAN reports that officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were seen in various locations attempting to control the chaotic traffic.
