By The gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway seemed to have heighthened as commuters plying the road which represents one of the major link road in the country has lamented the situation which has left them stranded since the early hours of the day.
The past four days has been challenging on the expressway as gridlock is now the order of the day due to ongoing construction of the dual carriageway which has further narrowed the road to one lane on both sides beginning from the Mountain of Fire Ministry to Ibafo axi link way.
Commuters accessing the road from the Lagos end were mainly affected as the drive towards the Ibadan axis took at least two hours to negotiate for a distance of about 10 kilometres.
impatience of some motorists, especially commercial bus operators, who drive against traffic, worsened the situation, forcing passengers to trek several kilometres.
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State command, had a hectic time turning back errant drivers who drove against traffic.
Meanwhile, business has been booming for Commercial motorcyclists as they charge whooping N1,000 as fair from Berger Bus Stop to Ibafo which used to go for just N300.
In an interview with one of the commuter, Mr Dele Ali, said he has had to cut down on the number of trips he had hitherto made on the route.
Ali blamed the Federal Government and the construction firms for the delay in completing the ongoing upgrade of the road, adding that commuters were suffering.
“This gridlock along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway had been on and off in the last four years. Unfortunately, there are times that it gets worse and during such periods I normally reduce my trips to and from Ibadan to just one. For me, and others who ply this road on a daily basis, it is a huge loss because the vehicles burn more fuel and the engines overheat while the wear and tear increase.” He lamented.
The gridlock has also affected people going about their daily business, one of such affected is Mr Obinna Nwagboso a poultry farmer, who was conveying chickens and turkeys from Lagos to Ijebu-Ode.
According to Mr Obinna Nwagboso, had a bad experience as no less than 15 birds died while in the gridlock for two hours on Saturday.
“I do not know who to hold accountable for this, but I never saw it coming. The birds are just dying due to the hot weather condition. This is a huge loss because the turkeys are sold for between N15, 000 and N25, 000,” Nwagboso shared.
