Hundreds of motorists and commuters were stranded for more than three hours yesterday morning following a gridlock between Ovia Bridge and Okada Junction along the Benin-Lagos Expressway.

The traffic congestion was blamed on indiscriminate roadside parking, impatience among motorists, broken-down vehicles and an accident along the route.

The Guardian gathered that some heavy-duty truck drivers parked by the roadside and continued sleeping into the early hours of the morning, obstructing the movement of other vehicles.

Many of the stranded motorists were drivers of articulated vehicles who had hoped to leave Benin early enough to reach their destinations on time.

The Okada axis of the expressway was also said to have become notorious for traffic congestion because of a damaged section of the road near the tipper garage.

One of the drivers, who identified himself as Akanni, lamented the failure of some of his colleagues to observe basic road safety rules.

“Imagine drivers parking by the roadside, sleeping and failing to wake up on time to continue their journeys, thereby contributing to the gridlock,” he said.
 
Another driver, identified simply as Chukwu, said he had been informed of traffic congestion around Ovia Bridge at about 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, prompting him to rest at a bypass near Oluku.

He, however, expressed surprise at encountering another gridlock after passing through the traffic around Ovia Bridge without difficulty.

Chukwu blamed the situation on poor enforcement of traffic regulations, urging government agencies, particularly the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), to ensure that motorists obey road safety rules.

He also appealed to the Edo State Government to repair the damaged section near Okada to ease the movement of vehicles and commuters.

“Everything boils down to the government. Its agencies must enforce the law, while the damaged portion of the road should also be repaired,” he said.