Heavy human, vehicular traffic in Ekiti, Ondo, Osun hours to Christmas

Few hours before Christmas, human and vehicular traffic have increased on both inter-state and intra-city roads in Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states, leading to gridlocks.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three adjoining states have road networks, which many commuters and motorists from Abuja, Jos and other northern states ply to get to Ibadan, Sagamu, Abeokuta, Lagos and other towns in the south-west zone.

The volume of vehicles and travellers on the highway and the last-minute Christmas shoppers parking their vehicles arbitrarily by the roadsides to purchase items in markets across the states, are often the causes of gridlocks at this period.

NAN reports that at Atikankan, Oja-Oba, Ojumose, Okesha and Mugbagba, all in Ado-Ekiti, Ikere-Ekiti, Akure, Ondo, Osogbo, Ejigbo, Ilesa and other major towns across the three states, the scenario was the same, with traders displaying their wares by roadsides, waiting for buyers.

However, traders of food items appeared to be the ones making brisk sales as more shoppers thronged their sections of the markets.

Also, motor parks in the states witnessed significant number of commuters travelling to their country homes for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Speaking on the development, a businessman, Mr Charles Chijioke, said traffic congestion during festive periods like Christmas and New Year was inevitable, stating, however, that with proper planning, the gridlocks could be reduced.

A driver at the central terminal in Ado-Ekiti, Mr Tajudeen Jimoh, who plies the Ado-Ekiti-Ibadan route, said that transport fare had been increased from N5,000 to N7,000.

Similarly, fares on Ado-Ekiti-Ilorin route, which used to cost N5,000, now go for N6,000, according to a driver on the route, Mr Jamiu Suleiman.

At Basiri Area of Ado-Ekiti, travellers going to Ibadan and Lagos were also confronted with increase in fares from N10,000 to N14,000.

NAN also observed heavy police presence on some of the roads linking Ekiti, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states.

Commercial drivers on the routes attributed gridlocks on the highways to proliferation of checkpoints by personnel of the police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Nigeria Customs Service, coupled with the bad sections of the roads.

Mr Jamiu Olowolagba, a commercial driver plying Ilorin-Osogbo route, said the number of security operatives, especially those from the police and FRSC, had increased on the axis.

He said that the number of commercial vehicles plying/operating within the corridor had equally increased because of the festivities.

“It is common during festive periods like this that more drivers and vehicles are on the road to cash-in on the festive movements.

“However, it is important for more security personnel and road safety officers to be on the highways too because of the fact that the lives and property of travellers must be secured,” he said.

Also, Mr Saheed Olaogun, a commercial bus driver on Osogbo-Lagos route, said that he noticed that the traffic snarls on the highways were caused by police checkpoints.

Olaogun said that he had witnessed some policemen at the checkpoints collecting money from drivers while some of them allowed free passage of vehicles without asking or collecting money from motorists.

He, however, appealed to appropriate authorities to help put an end to the act of police collecting money from motorists at checkpoints.

Olaogun said though other uniformed men were also involved in extorting motorists, he, however, said that of the police was more worrisome.

The Police Spokesperson in Osun, CSP Yemisi Opalola, said that due to the festivities, the Police Command had deployed more officers and patrol teams to ensure security of lives and property.

Opalola said that more officers, including highway patrol teams, had been deployed across the state, as human and vehicular movements increased due to the yuletide.

She, however, said that the operatives had been advised to exhibit highly level of professionalism and discipline, adding that anyone caught for misconduct would be punished accordingly.