By Bose Adelaja

Most motorists and other road users were pleasantly surprised when they were confronted by a tankers-free Apapa-Oshodi Expressway on Sunday. The surprise continued the following day. Indeed what they saw was more than a surprise, it was more like a miracle.

Standstill at Mile-2 to Tincan, along Oshodi-Apapa expressway yesterday. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo editor. File Photo

A miracle because since the beginning of the year, the Sanya/Rainbow to Mile Two/Berger stretch of the Oshodi-Apapa expressway had been a traffic nightmare to road users, no thanks to the horde of fuel tankers that usually clogged up the road on their way to the various tank farms located along the expressway, Kirikiri  and environs. The situation took a turn for the worse within the last two months as the tankers and other articulated vehicles virtually seized the entire stretch of the road, thus completely arresting the flow of traffic.

It was a painful experience for motorists plying that route. And more so for commuters, especially travellers who made the mistake of daring the gridlock. Indeed, many of them had tales of woe to tell. This was the case of a lady who last plied the road in 2009. She travelled from far away Maiduguri to Lagos to felicitate with her aunt who lives in Tin Can/Coconut area. The aunt had given birth to a set of twins after 12 years of waiting. Both were overjoyed at the development and so forgot to discuss the traffic situation on the Apapa/Oshodi expressway during their telephone conversation.

On arriving Mile 2 Under-bridge around 2.45pm a couple of days ago, Chichi Oliseh, was overwhelmed by the volume of traffic she met there. She soon boarded a commercial bus going to Tin Can. Several hours later, the bus was still trapped in the traffic gridlock. When this reporter called around 6pm to inquire if Chichi had arrived Tin Can, her response was a tale of her bitter experience on the traffic situation. ‘’My sister, you won’t believe we are still at Warehouse(Bus-stop); this road was not like this when I came here few years ago,…’’ she lamented.

Several reasons had been adduced for the persistent traffic chaos in this axis of the road. The most common is the indiscriminate parking of tankers and other articulated vehicles on both the expressway and service lanes. Apart from the frustration of being trapped in the gridlock, motorists and road users had on many  occasions fallen victims of robbery attacks, vandalisation of vehicles and auto crashes.

After months of persistent gridlock on the road, respite, however, came the way of road users after a visit by the Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, who issued a directive to the tanker drivers to vacate the road with immediate effect.  The governor had on Thursday June 25, 2015 led some top officials of the state government and security agencies on an on-the-spot assessment of major traffic points in the area after which a special task force was set up to ensure 24 hours surveillance of traffic flow. He stressed that the state traffic law should be strictly enforced.

Obviously in response to this, the Second Rainbow to Coconut area which was prone to gridlock had since Sunday been completely rid of the usual traffic snarl, thus engendering a feeling that a miracle had taken place.

But there is already misgiving that the miracle may be short-lived. In fact, residents of Kirikiri, Ajegunle and their environs, including some motorists and commuters, have said that they are not convinced that tanker drivers will obey the ultimatum to steer clear of the road; at least not for long. Some suggested that the best way out was for government to re-visit the rail system and water ways, engage in road rehabilitation as well as ensure that traffic law enforcement agents are alive to their responsibilities.

And true to their misgivings, the tankers  returned on Tuesday, occupying two lanes of the road at Berger.

Collapsed sections of road at Cele to Ilasamaja

Apart from that, residents and motorists would want government to fix the dilapidated portions of the expressway from Cele Bus-stop to the Ilasamaja area of the expressway which have for the past two weeks been causing persistent traffic snarl in the area, usually between 2pm and 10pm.

Former Chairman of Osho Drive Community Development Association Nwogu Emmanuel said:  ‘’The gridlock has been terrible. Because of it many car owners have parked their vehicles at home and now depend on Okada as a means of transportation. How are we sure the ultimatum will not be like the previous ones?’’

Meanwhile, Chairman Association of Maritime Truck Owners AMATO Chief Remi Ogunbemi expressed optimism that expected cooperation between the Federal and Lagos State governments will go a long way in bringing the problem to an end.

The National Public Relations Officer of Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, Mr Adebayo Atanda, said his members will comply with directive by the state government. ‘’The tankers were asked to return to their respective locations and to come out only when it’s their turn to load.  To ensure compliance, our union has set up a special task force which is working hand-in-hand with government to restore sanity on the road,’’ he said.