Muslims travelling for the Sallah holidays and other residents were trapped on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Friday and Saturday due to the gridlock on the road.
A Lagos worker, Ibrahim Mohammed, regretted waiting before getting on the road to meet his family in Ibadan, Oyo State.
He said he thought he could spare some time for other tasks before travelling.
Mohammed said, “I regret waiting. I should have left home very early. Now that I am stuck here, I don’t think I can attend the meeting at our family house today (Friday). I have been here for hours and I am tired.”
A motorist, Tobi Ajadi, whose uncle is getting married on Monday (today), told our correspondent that he never knew the traffic would be serious.
“I came to get some things in Lagos for the ceremony and I met traffic,” he added.
Another commuter, Uthman Agboluaje, said the stress of passing the road everyday was unbearable.
“Drivers don’t want to come here anymore. Some have increased the fares because of the traffic. I spent double of the original cost everyday because I have to go to work,” he added.
Our correspondent observed a man washing his face with sachet water in the traffic.
The man, who identified himself only as Abdulraman, said, “I am a construction worker and we work in estates. No matter when I wake up, I always enter this traffic. I have to get to my workplace early otherwise my boss and colleagues will leave for work without me. How will I make money if I miss work in a day?”
An official of the Lagos State Government, who identified himself only as Adebayo, told our correspondent that the prolonged repair and blockade of the expressway had affected his schedules.
“I don’t know when I’ll leave this traffic. Sometimes, I spend three hours before I get to Alausa (state secretariat). It has affected everything,” he said.
A car owner, Akinjide, showed PUNCH Metro his wife dressing up their two children for school in their car.
He said the traffic had affected their daily routine.
Akinjide said, “We have to wake up earlier than usual because we don’t want to be late for work. We also have to prepare them (children) for school. You can’t sleep well if you are thinking about this traffic every day.”
A commercial driver, Yusuf, said the traffic was fuel-consuming and time-wasting.
“So, the cost of transporting people will be higher. It is not our fault. They should repair the road they blocked quickly so it can be easy for everyone,” he added.
A Muslim faithful, Yetunde, told our correspondent that the government should find a way to ease the traffic.
She said, “They should know better. The road (Longbridge) is usually busy. Blocking some parts of Berger/Secretariat makes movement more difficult.”
Our correspondent observed some motorists taking one-way on the Longbridge end of the expressway.
One of the motorists said they had to find a way to move despite the traffic.
The Lagos State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Olusegun Ogungbemide, said the traffic volume and rainfall worsened the traffic.
He said, “The traffic volume increased because of the Sallah celebration. What we have today (Saturday) is exceptional due to the downpour. That is what we have been managing in the past few days and you know we have a three-kilometre construction site at the Otedola Bridge. There is no obstruction on the road; it’s just the traffic volume.”
Speaking on the state of the road construction, Ogungbemide said, “It is in three stages. We have the milling, compacting and asphalt laying. But the milling and compacting are going on simultaneously. One is taking off from kilometre 0, while the other is taking off from kilometre three. And after that part, they will move to the other side. So, that is what we are going to live with in some months’ time.”
The Ogun State Sector Commander, FRSC, Ahmed Umar, confirmed that there was no obstruction on the road.
He said, “No one can control the flow of movement by people, and it is because of the festive season. We have been proactive. Even before the commencement of the festive season, we have stationed our men and the police there. There was also a palliative work going on by Julius Berger, but it has been completed.”
