‘Benin bye-pass, now death trap’

On the heels of the plans by the federal government to cushion the effect of land transportation during the Christmas season, motorists have called on the authorities to fix the Benin bye-pass to ameliorate the plight of commuters using the road.

The Chairman, Happy Motoring Association International, a non-governmental Organization (HMAI), Chief Emmanuel Akamobi lamented the condition of the road, and noted that the road had continued to be a death trap for commuters.

He stated that those who do not use the bye-pass will not understand what commuters suffer in the course of using the road despite that it was created to reduce the stress of having to go through the Benin municipal city to Lagos or South East.

Akamobi, decried a situation whereby tankers, containers and other articulated vehicles took the better part of the road and reduce them to parks for broken down heavy vehicles.

He drew the attention of the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to the deplorable condition of Benin bye- pass and the plight of commuters in the area.

He said FERMA should rise to the occasion and save motorists from an impending danger that is waiting to happen. Also, the Edo State Government should not allow the condition of the road to continue the way it is presently.Akamobi said that drivers trying to avoid potholes and dilapidated portions of the roads, end up putting other people’s lives at risk.

He decried a situation where several people died when an oil tanker exploded and caught fire on the road and due to the bad state of the road, no one was able to escape, leading to many avoidable deaths. During the past administration, federal government used to maintain the road on a regular basis.

The public spirited chief observed that many roads lack proper drainages, stressing that the scenario was turning the roads into swimming pools within minutes of a downpour, particularly because roadside culverts overflow; tarmac disintegrates; traffic lights and road signs are often absent.

He therefore urged the federal government and all the authorities concerned to save the motorists using the road the unnecessary delays and dangers that result from traffic buildups from the bad roads.