Motorists battle three-hour gridlock on Benin-Lagos Expressway

•The gridlock. Photo: Adeyinka Adedipe

Motorists and commuters were stranded for more than three hours on Sunday following an early morning gridlock between Ovia Bridge and Okada Junction along the Lagos-Benin Expressway.

When PUNCH Metro visited the stretch, articulated vehicles accounted for a large number of those trapped in the traffic. Many of the drivers had reportedly left Benin early in the morning in a bid to reach their destinations on time.

Some vehicles developed mechanical faults during the gridlock, while an accident along the route further compounded the traffic situation.

Some drivers blamed the gridlock on impatience and the indiscriminate parking of vehicles by colleagues who reportedly slept by the roadside instead of resuming their journeys early.

They also identified the Okada axis as a recurring traffic bottleneck, particularly around a bad section of the road near the Tipper Garage.

One of the drivers, who gave his name as Akanni, lamented the failure of some of his colleagues to comply with the rules governing their profession.

“Imagine drivers parking by the roadside, sleeping and not waking up on time to continue their journey, thereby contributing to the gridlock,” he said.

Another driver, Chukwu, said he learnt of a traffic jam around Ovia Bridge at about 2am on Sunday and decided to sleep at a bypass near Oluku.

He said he was surprised to encounter another gridlock after passing through the Ovia Bridge stretch without difficulty.

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Chukwu blamed the situation on what he described as the failure of the government and its agencies to enforce traffic regulations, particularly the Federal Road Safety Corps.

He also called on the Edo State Government to repair the damaged section of the road near Okada to improve vehicular and pedestrian movement.

“Everything boils down to the government. Their agencies must enforce the law, while the repair of the bad portion of the road should also be done,” he added.

However, after navigating the gridlock for about three hours, it became apparent that impatience among motorists had also worsened the situation, as some drivers resorted to driving against traffic, further obstructing the highway.

The Edo State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Preye Bedford, said his personnel regularly monitored the axis to ensure smooth traffic flow and prevent gridlock.

He urged motorists to exercise patience and obey traffic regulations.

“Though my men are not permanently positioned in that axis, I do send them to that particular spot every two days. The men near Ofosu and other spots are always on alert in case there is a vehicle breakdown in the area.

“We usually deploy our men there once we are informed of an accident or vehicle breakdown along that axis to ensure that traffic flows. For now, we do not have personnel permanently stationed there. What I will advise is for people to be patient and obey traffic rules,” Bedford said.