Commuters across the Lagos metropolis were once again trapped in a frustrating gridlock on Thursday, with vehicular movement grinding to a halt for hours, an ordeal that appears to have no end in sight.
For those heading out of Lagos via the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the traffic bottleneck, which began at the popular Otedola Bridge, stretched through the Ogun State corridor and terminated at the Fatgbems Filling Station, leaving thousands stranded or trekking.
Stranded passengers, unable to wait for commercial buses caught in the gridlock, were seen trekking towards the Fatgbems filling station.
Others, particularly the elderly and families with children, stood helplessly by the roadside under the sun.
The usually bustling Berger Bus Stop, which serves passengers heading to Mowe, Magboro, Wawa, and Arepo, was nearly deserted.
The Berger bus shed and its space were fully consumed by vehicles stuck in traffic and stranded passengers.Vendors, taking advantage of the standstill, moved freely between vehicles, selling sachet water, soft drinks, and snacks.
Commercial drivers who managed to navigate through the chaos exploited the situation by increasing transport fares from the usual N500โN700 to as high as N2,000.
Occasionally, a few sympathetic private car owners were seen picking up exhausted passengers.
A similar scene unfolded around the College Bus Stop in Ikotun, where makeshift ram markets had sprung up in open spaces, further compounding vehicular delays. (Punch)
Speaking with PUNCH Metro, a commuter, Kazeem Olarewaju, described the situation as unbearable.
Olarewaju said, โI donโt understand why a few people are allowed to inconvenience everyone else.
โWhy canโt the government relocate these ram sellers? Why should people suffer like this just because they want to use a public road?
โThis is 5 pm. I left the Lagos Secretariat around 3 pm, and Iโve barely moved. The bus fare has tripled.โ
Another road user, who declined to give his name, echoed the same frustration and urged the government to relocate the Kara market.
โYou wonโt see any of our leaders plying this road. Itโs only the common man. Please, help us beg them to move this market elsewhere.15โฆโItโs not a difficult thing to do if the government truly wants to help us, especially during festive seasons,โ he noted.
Ademola, a passenger travelling to Ibadan with his family, described the Kara market as a recurring problem.
He lamented, โThat market has become a menace for road users during Sallah celebrations. This isnโt the first time commuters are facing this kind of hardship.
โIf itโs not road repairs, itโs ram sellers. Every year, thereโs a problem. The FRSC officials are trying, but this is beyond just traffic control.โ
The spokesperson for the Ogun State Sector Command of the FRSC, Florence Okpe, had confirmed the situation and attributed the congestion to increased pre-Sallah activities at the Kara Market.
โOur officials are already on the ground and will remain there to manage the traffic throughout the festive period,โ she had told our correspondent on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, massive gridlock was witnessed across several parts of Lagos on Thursday evening as pre-Sallah market activities and the usual closing-hour rush brought vehicular movement to a crawl in major commercial corridors.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, in a traffic update posted via its official X handle at 4:26 p.m., reported that the CMS Bridge inward Offin Canal Market was experiencing significant congestion due to market-related activities.
โThere is slow movement on the CMS bridge heading towards Offin Canal Market, specifically impacted by vehicles entering and exiting the market area.
โHowever, the stretch immediately following Offin Canal Market to the Ijora Olopa by NEPA intersection is currently clear,โ LASTMA stated.
The agency further revealed that traffic was building up steadily along Broad Street, with congestion stretching toward the Apongbon underbridge section.
โThe congestion is tied to activities at Offin Canal Market and Olowogbowo, alongside the usual evening rush,โ it added.
In contrast, LASTMA noted that traffic was flowing smoothly on Eko Bridge by the NEPA intersection heading toward Apongbon.
It also said that movement was โgoodโ descending Eko Bridge toward CMS, Elegbeta Mini Stadium, and the Ebute-Ero Market areas.
According to the agency, the stretch from Ebute-Ero Market through Leventis, UBA Roundabout, and extending to the inner and outer Marina remained clear, with โtraffic moving without obstruction.โ
LASTMA officials were observed at several choke points, coordinating traffic to ease the flow and reduce delays.31โฆIn areas like Egbeda, particularly along the Idimu-Isheri Road corridor, traffic was intense due to high volumes of ram trading activities.