Some motorists plying the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Monday advised the Federal Government to prevail on construction giant, Julius Berger Plc, to work at night instead of daytime.
The motorists told the News Agency of Nigeria that working at night on the road would alleviate the sufferings motorists and commuters face on daily basis.
They described traffic on the expressway for inbound and outbound vehicles as a nightmare.
They lamented that a 40km journey that would have lasted about 30 minutes between Mowe and Berger for Lagos-bound traffic, now lasts between three hours and four hours.
NAN reports that the construction company had narrowed the four-lane Long Bridge linking Warewa in Ogun State to Berger Bridge at the Lagos-Ogun States boundary to two lanes.
From Ibafo Bus Stop, motorists coming to Lagos from other parts of the country are joined by those at “Second Lagos” comprising Mowe, Ibafo, Asese, Arepo and Magboro, thereby making the traffic chaotic.
As usual, the ubiquitous yellow and other commercial buses (danfo) in a bid to beat the traffic often drive against traffic, facing vehicles from Lagos.
The six-lane in-bound traffic now converge at the tip of the Long Bridge at Warewa without officials of Federal Road Safety Corps and the police in sight to control traffic.
Hundreds of passengers are usually stranded at the various bus stops in the early hours of the day.
Funmi Ojo, a resident of Ibafo, who works in Lagos, said she spent three hours in the traffic to get to the end of the Long Bridge on Monday.
Ojo told NAN: “I boarded the bus at Ibafo at about 6am, but I alighted at OPIC at 9am for a journey that should not last 30 minutes on a good day.
“Julius Berger should consider working at night instead of daytime so as to reduce the harrowing experiences passengers and motorists are passing through on daily basis.”
Another passenger, Biola Olaiya, lamented that the situation had compelled commercial bus drivers to increase fares by 50 per cent.
Olaiya said: “This is affecting our purses because we have to pay more than we budgeted for.”
Ponle Adekoya said the situation had made her to fall sick.
Adekoya said: “I used to wake up at 4am, leave the house about 5.30am for my office.
“But see what happened to me today.
“I am just at the Park-and-Ride Bus Stop at 9am.
“My company’s staff bus had left from the point where I join it only for me to pay extra fare to board a public bus that will take me close to my place of work.
“I am tired of this development.”
A driver, Rashidi Olawale, said driving for several hours in the traffic had taken serious toll on his vehicle.
Olawale said: “Drivers and passengers are already tired sitting for hours.
“Drivers can easily to doze off.
“Workers have also lost productive man-hours in the traffic.
“That is why we are calling on the Federal Government to ask the contractor handling the expressway from Sagamu Inter-change to work at night.
“This is the busiest expressway in Nigeria that connects the rest of Nigeria to Lagos.
“It must be given a special attention by the government.”
Olawale also lamented that motorists burn more fuel because of the slow moving traffic.
He said: “With N2,000 petrol in my tank, I make four trips between Mowe and Ketu, but with the present situation, I fill the tank with between N4,000 and N5,000.”
Foluso Olayiwola said she had stopped driving her vehicle to work because of the stress associated with the traffic situation on the road.
Olayiwola said: “If this continues, life expectancy of many people plying the road will reduce.
“Julius Berger should also provide alternative routes to the expressway to decongest the road, particularly at both sides of the long bridge.”
Also speaking, Alhaji Jimoh Ibrahim suggested that Julius Berger should patch the bad portions on the expressway.
Ibrahim noted that the intervention of the Ogun State Government during the rainy season in 2015 had made some failed sections of the road motorable.
Another road user, Alhaja Rabiat Onileowo, said traffic officials should be deployed at strategic points to control traffic.
The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was inaugurated in 1978 by the then General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military administration.
In 2009, the Federal Government entered into a concession agreement with Bi-Courtney Highway Services to reconstruct the road.
It was terminated four years after as a result of alleged “non-performance” by the firm.
In July 2013, former President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated the reconstruction of the 35-year-old expressway with a pledge that the N167 billion project would be completed in 48 months.
The 127.8km road project was awarded to Julius Berger Plc and Reynolds Construction Company Limited.
While Julius Berger is handling the Sagamu Interchange stretch to Lagos, RCC is working on the stretch from the Interchange to Ibadan.
NAN.
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