…As Lagos Does On Oshodi-Apapa Expressway

OSHODI-Apapa expressway used to be the pride of commuters and residents with free flow of traffic. The area, however, has become inaccessible, following construction of tank farms for the storage of petroleum products at the Ibafon-Westminster axis.

Clearly, these are not the best of times for people who drive through the area everyday. The mere thought of spending endless hours in the gridlock puts fear in their hearts. The tankers park along the road, taking up much space and depriving other motorists their right of way. The result is the gridlock, which sometimes stretches from Tin Can Island port to Cele bus stop. While private car owners lament loss of valuable time and missed appointments, their commercial counterparts mourn their inability to pick passengers and earn daily living.

Mr. Emeka, one such driver, who plies the Oshodi-Coconut axis of the road, said: “On some days, my conductor and I are forced to spend the night in the bus, stuck in traffic. There was no way we could leave the vehicle on the road and go home.” He complained about having to drive against the traffic in order to avoid the gridlock. Sadly, the trouble-making tankers also avail themselves this opportunity, further compounding the situation, especially when their trucks break down.

A trader who owns a shop at Berger bus stop complained that the tankers cripple business, as prospective customers shy from having to pass through the hellish experience in order to make purchases. She noted that often the tankers are down with mechanical problems that leave them grounded in the middle of the road. The ensuing grid­­­lock discourages customers from showing up.

Police officers posted to the area to control the traffic have become tired with trying to bring order to a near-impossible scenario. As a result, they just sit and stare. With broken down heavy duty trucks and hundreds of impatient gridlocked motorists, the job of a policeman in the area is certainly back breaking. “On a regular working day, whatever degree of chaos the road descends into, we simply take it as it comes.”

Residents of Apapa, Kirikiri, Olodi and Ajegunle often have to leave their vehicles at home and walk a distance of about two kilometers or more in order to board a vehicle or motorcycle. To shun this wisdom is to be glued in the traffic and arrive work or home late. Many residents are said to have sold off their cars and bought motorcycles, which could more easily meander through the gridlock.

While the traffic snarl lingers, men of the underworld get to work attacking road users, and dispossessing them of valuables. There have also been reports of attempted rape by the miscreants. One Miss Blessing told how a man tried to overpower her. She, however, managed to fend of the attacker and fled. Following the incident, she made it a point of safety never to be on the road alone after 7pm. Private car owners have equally had their windshields smashed, and robbed of possessions.

Another cause for concern on the road is its state of hygiene. Many of the drivers pass human waste wherever they feel nature’s call. They dispose food wastes on the road, and during sanitation exercises, the tankers prevent residents from reaching gutters due for cleaning.

Happily, the new Lagos State government, led by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, is taking steps to remove the tankers from the road. This has given respite to residents, commuters and business owners in the area. There is fear, however, that the monsters could return; it has happened before.