St Pauls Anglican Church dedication and award presentation ceremony at Kirikiri, Lagos

UNENDING TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE ALONG OSHODI – MILE 2- APAPA EXPRESSWAY : AN X-RAY OF THE PROBLEM

Lamidi Bamidele

The traffic gridlock along Oshodi, Mile 2 – Apapa expressway seems to have become a permanent situation to people having one thing or the other to do along the road with no solution in sight to curb this recurring problem.

Oshodi – Apapa expressway is a 10 lane route that links to some major sea ports in Lagos where billions of naira is generated as revenue to the federal government purse.

The traffic situation especially at the mile 2 axis of the road has been most horrifying in recent times. Motorists and commuters spending 4 to 5hours on a journey not expected to have taken just 30 minutes. 

Traffic Gridlock at Mile 2 Axis Along Oshodi Apapa Expressway Lagos.Photo by Lamidi Bamidele

The problem initially was the delapidated stage of the road which was constructed in the 70s. The road has lacked adequate maintenance from the concerned agencies of the government which has led to most parts of the road pot holes, some so deep that heavy duty vehicles got stocked. The drainages were filled with wastes and any slight rain leads to flooding. Most part of the expressway serves as garages to heavy duty vehicles such as trailer, petrol tankers who most of the time parked on the highway awaiting loading of fuel into their vehicles from their various depots scattered all around the expressway.

While the frustration and suffering continue, most people engage in conflicting explanations on why there has not been any far reaching solutions. At this point in time, the workers, commuters and media organisations located around the area took the responsibility up by creating awareness and deploring their arsenal, publishing pictures and stories of the agonies commuters and motorists are facing on the road.

Alas! There were responses from Lagos State and Federal governments. They both woke up from their slumbers and swung into action. While Lagos State government helped in the decongestion and drastic reduction of illegal parking of trucks and trailers on the road, the federal government through federal Ministry of works awarded the extensive reconstruction of the road Julius Berger construction company.

With this contract awarded, one would have thought, it's 'hurray', but the on-going road reconstruction has received a lion share of the blame for continuous traffic jams being winessed as most observers continue to berate the construction company for blocking of some sections of the road and restricting motorists to one or two lanes on the multiple lanes. It is expected that a remedied measures to ease the suffering of the road users. But while responding to this, a source close to the Works Minister informed that his boss is most reluctant to bring undue pressure on the contractor in order not give it the excuse to slow down the pace of work which could lead to delay in the completion of the work.

On why the Ministry has failed to deploy security personnel to the area to manage the chaos and crisis, he said that should be the responsibility of the Lagos state government which collects taxes on the road. He added that when it comes to the issue of rehabilitation of the road, the state government often fails to rise to the occasion on the pretext that it is a federal road but always quick to collect taxes on the road which run into billions of naira yearly.

While Commutters and motorists lamened about this ugly situation, hawkers were seen singing praises on the road. In a chat with some of the hawkers, Chinedu said the traffic has really increase his daily income through increase sales in his can drinks. 'I now sell up to 5 cartons daily, how I wish it continues like this'.