15 July 2015, Lagos – The hectic traffic gridlock along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, has returned fully, following the resurgence of drivers of tankers and articulated vehicles who park indiscriminately on the highway in their bid to lift petroleum products from tank farms within the Apapa and Kirikiri areas of Lagos State.
According to Vanguard’s investigation, the task force put in place by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State to proffer solution to the unending traffic gridlock particularly on the highway, and major roads in the Apapa area has failed to sustain the sanity on the road.
The task force had seized a few trucks in its early days of operation.
It has left a few policemen on the road who the tanker drivers say assist them to park on the roads after allegedly collecting bribes from them.
The gridlock which has become a daily sight on the highway, usually stretches as far as between Tincan Island Port, Apapa to Cele-Bustop, forcing motorists and other road users to be stranded, even as vehicular and commercial activities along the axis have been put on hold.
Tanker drivers, who spoke to Vanguard, alleged that some policemen deployed to the area to control traffic, have abandoned their duty to extort N500 from each tanker driver.
Vanguard gathered that as soon as the tanker drivers had parted with the money, the Policemen turn blind eyes, when they (tanker drivers) heading to the tank farms in Tincan Island and Kirikiri, indiscriminately park on the highway.
One tanker driver, simply identified as Alhaji Abdullahi, who spoke to Vanguard, said he came from Maiduguri to lift petroleum product in Lagos, saying that he has spent almost a week without getting close to the tank farm, where he was to lift petrol from.
Asked why they indiscriminately park along the highway, without recourse to the plight of other road users, Abdullahi alleged that the Police should be blamed for the impunity of his colleagues.
His words: “For me as a person, I’m confused about the whole issue. Most of our colleagues who have not been booked to lift petroleum products are the cause of this traffic menace.
“They are not supposed to come here until they are called to lift products. Even at that, the Policemen, who are supposed to ensure they maintain one lane, as directed by the Lagos State Government, collect N500 from every tanker driver that park on this road.
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