Lagos motorists, commuters lament gridlock on Cele-Okota road

Accuse LASTMA, VIO, construction work for worsening situation

Motorists and commuters plying Okota through the flyover bridge at Cele, to link Oshodi-Apapa, have lamented the worsening gridlock on the road.

They complained that gridlock, which has become a daily routine on the route is precipitated by obstructions by men of Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority officers (LASTMA), which reduce the road to a lane.

The Guardian witnessed three points of interception that are usually problematic along the axis, where traffic officers also operate. They include, U-turn from Okota, Cele Bus Stop and a spot abandoned by HITECH, the sub-contractor handling the rehabilitation of Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

The uncompleted construction work by Hitech Construction Company, has a depression on the service lane right at the top of Cele canal.

Motorists coming from Okota through the U-turn linking Cele from Oshodi-Apapa service lane en route Oshodi and Airport road have to spend over an hour within that corridor.

Some who spoke to The Guardian said the traffic build-up at the depression is the main problem compounded by officers of VIO, LASTMA, Policemen working in league with local council officers.

A commuter, Kamoru Adisa said: “the traffic here cannot end till the engineers come back to align the road together. If you look at the part where the traffic build up begins, you will notice that that place is deep. Drivers cannot drive fast there, unless they want to damage their vehicles. They have to slow down and this is not good. There is no presence of LASTMA officers there to direct the traffic.  They are always at Cele  Bus Stop, looking for excuses to impound vehicles with the police.

“We are mechanics here and we heard that HITECH is coming back to fix that bad spot, but we have not seen them.

Also, a motorist, Kayode Mutiu, said LASTMA and police officers are often on the look out for motorists, who may flout traffic laws rather than focusing on controlling traffic.

According to him, in most cases, the officers are crowded where the traffic situation is not bad or not needed.

“For instance, there are no fewer than six traffic officers on duty, while descending from the flyover bridge, linking Cele.

“There are also regular traffic officers stationed at the same spot. The officers are at that point under the guise of controlling traffic and making arrests.

“ There are also no fewer than five traffic officers made up of LASTMA and police officers near the U-turn before the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, inward Mile 2, at Cele Bus Stop.

“But there is none a few metres away, at the intersection on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, where there is usually traffic as a result of those driving against traffic.

“ This usually results in a hellish traffic situation as far as Ilasa, about four bus-stops away, yet no traffic officer intervenes at that spot,” he added.

But responding, the acting Controller, Work Section,  Federal Ministry of Works and Housing,  Forosola Oloyede,  promised to reach out to HITECH to get that section of the road repaired.

She stressed that HITECH is currently working from Beachland towards Cele, which falls within the section of the road.

“The contractor is currently working and they have reached section 4 of the construction of Oshodi -Apapa Expressway, which is within Cele Bus Stop, the area concerned.

“There was never a time when HITECH abandoned the work. They will do something there immediately to make the road motorable. That place initially has flexible pavement, but they want to change it to rigid pavement. So we will send our men there to do something before they get there,” she said.

When The Guardian reached out to Assistant Director, Public Affairs of LASTMA, Filade Olumide, he claimed that traffic offenders are the cause of traffic in that area and that the operation of its officers in the axis was to effect arrest of impatient drivers, who violate traffic laws.