Lagos residents in five-hour gridlock

Residents of Lagos State – Lagos Island and Lagos Mainland in particular – experienced over five hours of traffic gridlock on Wednesday.
It was gathered that motorists and commuters spent at least five hours in traffic logjams before they could get to their destinations.
It was observed that vehicles plying major roads such as Lagos-Ikorodu Road, Lagos-Abeokuta Road and all roads to and within the Island and Mainland in the state were at a complete standstill in one of the worst traffic snarls in the state.
Motorists and passengers were seen sweating and cursing due to the long period they had to wait in the traffic.
No one, including traffic officials, could really explain the cause of the hellish gridlock but it was observed that vehicles parked by the roadsides in long queues for petrol contributed to the traffic congestion.
It was also observed that the scarcity of petrol contributed to motorists’ plight as there were few buses plying the roads.
The few commercial buses plying the roads hiked their fares.
The petrol stations were observed not selling fuel to motorists but black market operators were seen with jerry cans, selling to motorists way above the pump price of N97 per litre.
At Ikoyi, it was observed that five litres of fuel at the black market sold for N1,500, while at the Onipnau area, 10 litres of fuel from the black market sold for N2,000.
Agnes Omale, a house wife narrated her expereince in the gridlock: “I left my house at Shomolu to go to the Kings College on the Island to pick my son for the Sallah break but I ended up in traffic where I spent over five hours to get back home with the boy. We were so tired and I wonder what could have caused such terrible traffic.”
A motorist, Daniel Akamo, stated that he spent three hours in the gridlock.
Akamo said: “From Costain to Ojuelegba was like travelling to Ibadan.
“It was terrible and my fuel finished in the traffic.
“I had to buy from the black market.
“Ten litres was sold to me fore N1,700.
“I don’t know why the traffic was that bad but it is not a good thing to experience and the government should do something to stop the traffic and the scarcity of fuel.”
A passenger who requested anonymity stated that the commercial bus drivers also hiked their fares.
He said: “The driver used to collect N100 from Onipanu to Ketu but today they were collecting N200.
“Some even collected N250.
“They said fuel is scare and expensive so they shifted the cost to the passengers.
“Also, the bus drivers used to collect N50 from Onipanu to Pako Bus Stop but they increased it to N100.”
Commercial motorcycle riders also hiked their fare.
Chris Otteh told The Eagle Online: “Those okada allowed within the streets also increased their fare because the buses were not available.
“A fare of N100 was N200 or as they feel like.
“Everything has just turned worse in Lagos today.”
It was also observed that the BRT bus stops were over crowded with stranded passengers who could not afford the hike in commercial bus fares.