Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Gridlock: Passengers Trek Long Distance To Reach Destinations

The gridlock on Lagos-Ibadan expressway, on Saturday, left many motorists and commuters stranded, as passengers were seen trekking long distance to get to their destinations. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Gridlock

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that FRSC and other agencies had been battling with the gridlock since Friday.

NAN gathered that most motorists slept on the highway as a result of the traffic snarl. Meanwhile, FRSC and other agencies were busy balling with the situation to ease traffic flow. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Gridlock

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NAN also reports that the gridlock had extended to some parts of Ibadan metropolis, such as Soka, New Garage, Challenge and Ojoo, with motorists and passengers having difficulties getting to their respective destinations.

A truck driver, Mr Isaac Emmanuel, told NAN that he had been on the road since Friday afternoon, coming from Sagamu axis. “I left Sagamu yesterday afternoon and I’m just reaching Ibadan now (Saturday morning). I observed that two trucks, including a container, fell around Guru Maraji area. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Gridlock

“The incident has made vehicular traffic to be on stand still since yesterday,” he said, describing the situation as hellish. Also, a passenger, Mr Waliu Olalade, said that he had to trek from the old toll gate on the Ibadan end of Lagos-Ibadan expressway to Soka area due to the heavy traffic.

“So many people, especially those passing through the expressway are just trekking to their destinations. “Apart from the trailers that fell on the way, some people have also attributed the traffic situation to impatience. The impatience is on the part of some motorists,” he said.

The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Mrs Uche Chukwurah, however, said there was no accident or broken-down vehicles that could have caused the gridlock on the expressway. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Gridlock

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Chukwurah identified motorists’ impatience, lane indiscipline and not giving consideration to other road users as major causes of the gridlock. She noted that the gridlock started around Oriental axis on the expressway. This is where a construction company had closed a lane and diverted traffic to the other lane.

The sector commander said that motorists only needed to move few kilometres. They need to do that before moving back to the normal two lanes. He stressed, however, that they were impatient, hence the traffic snarl. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Gridlock

Chukwurah insisted that the ongoing reconstruction of the expressway was not the cause of the gridlock. However, it is caused by lack of patience on the part of the motorists.

She called on motorists to always exercise patience and give consideration to other road users while on the road and as well obey traffic rules and regulations to avoid experiencing such situations. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Gridlock

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