FRSC to go tough on motorists causing gridlock on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), says motorists creating additional lanes and driving against traffic on the Lagos-lbadan Expressway will be booked for psychiatric check.

Mr Hyginus Omeje, the Lagos State Sector Commander told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos that erring motorists will also have their vehicles impounded.

According to Omeje, one of the causes of the constant gridlock on the road is impatient and attitudinal behaviour by most road users.

“A good assesment of the road which l have done severally, reveals that there is nothing wrong with the road other than there is everthing wrong with the users of the road.

“Although, the road is undergoing rehabilitation and expansion which has gotten to Magboro by MFM Church and at that point, Lagos- lbadan bound traffic was diverted to share lane with that of lbadan to Lagos.

“The narrowing of the carriageway at the diversion point caused serious gridlock last week. The problem is always compounded anytime motorists creates additional lanes or driving against traffic leading to crashes.

“We are not interested in arrest but to get the road free of gridlock. However, many motorists are creating problem for us by creating additional lanes or driving against traffic in the case of breakdown.

“We will soon start to book the erring road user compounding problems on that corridor,”Omeje said.

The FRSC boss noted that impatience had caused so much chaos and harrowing experience for motorists on the corridor.

He urged motorists to always maintain their lanes, saying that lane discipline and obedience to traffic law was required by all road users to ensure free flow of traffic.

Omeje said that the construction companies from OPIC had put signages from 50k/m, 80k/m and 100 km per hour speed limit.

“No spirit, no demon that is causing anything on that road but the attitude of the road users impatience and lawlessness.

“Our men are ready to enforce the law and to curb the excesses of people creating additional lanes and driving against traffic.

NAN reports that the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway is 127.6 kilometre long ( 79.3 mi) connecting lbadan to Lagos and also a major route to the Eastern, Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria.

The expressway is the oldest in Nigeria and was commissioned in August, 1978.

It is also said to be the busiest interstate route in Nigeria and handles more than 250,000 vehicles daily and constitutes one of the largest road network in Africa.