THE horror caused by the perennial Oshodi-Apapa Expressway gridlock continued yesterday, with the traffic snarl stretching to the Second Rainbow bus stop.
Commuters wailed as the Task Force set up by Governor Babjide Sanwo-Olu to clear the traffic and Ports Police appeared helpless.
More than one week ago, Governor Sanwo-Olu directed the Lagos State Special Committee on Apapa Traffic to clear the gridlock within 24 hours. So far, the directive has not been carried out.
Meanwhile, truckers under the aegis of Council of Maritime Truck Unions and Associations, COMTUA, have commended Vanguard Newspapers over its investigative report detailing extortion points along the Oshodi-Apapa expressway and environs, describing it as true and verifiable.
The truckers spoke as the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Maritime Police Command, AIG Susan Akem-Horsfall, said the gridlock along Coconut to Second Gate of Tin-can Island Port is surmountable
Disclosing that she had been under the weather, she said a task force had been set up to clear the gridlock, which she said “is not supposed to be so” and promised to get back to Vanguard today.
Sanwo-Olu’s aides set to inspect situation in the axis
Contacted, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr Sola Giwa, told Vanguard, yesterday, that the government was not unaware of the situation in the axis and is ready to wade-in.
According to him, government is set to inspect the chaotic traffic situation along Oshodi-Mile-2 Apapa Expressway, with the view to restore sanity in the axis.
Giwa said the “Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, myself and other team members are already fine-tuning a working visit to have on-the-spot assessment of the current situation with the aim to resolve the gridlock.
“We are also planning a stakeholders’ meeting to meet with all the port operators on the way forward. It cannot be business as usual.
“We are coming to Mile-2 Apapa Expressway soon to fashion out solutions to address the problems identified at the traffic-prone locations and initiate strategies towards removing congestion immediately.
“We plead with residents and motorists to be patient as government is not sitting on the fence over the issue.”
Earlier, in a bid to ensure the free flow of traffic in the state, the Commissioner for Transportation, Osiyemi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Giwa and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Abdulhafiz Toriola visited Costain and Iyana-Oworo axis to study the traffic situation.
Oshodi-Apapa expressway gridlock
Checks by Vanguard, which were corroborated by key sources in the areas showed that there are no fewer than 58 extortion points manned by the Police; Park and Garages ECOMOG, Oduduwa boys, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA, Maritime workers, Apapa LGA, and area boys among others.
According to Vanguard’s investigation published on Wednesday, going inward Tincan along the expressway, there are 25 extortion points where each truck driver pays N61,000.
Outward Tincan, there are 12 extortion points and a fee of N25,000.
In the Apapa corridor, there are 19 points and a toll of N52,000.
Oftentimes, there are disagreements between the drivers and the collectors of the fees leading to tight gridlock.
Fatgbems: N2,000 (Park and Garages Adeola, LASTMA); After FATGBEMS N2,000 (Park and Garages Deola); Descending Mile 2 N2,000 (Park and Garages Ecomog); Mile2 top bridge: N5,000 (Park and Garages ECOMOG, Police, LASTMA); Freedom: N2,000 (Police); Otto Whoff: N2000 (Park and Garages ECOMOG, Police and LASTMA); UBA: N6000 (Park/Garages, Police, LASTMA); Kirikiri bridge: N2000 (Police); RRS: N4000 (Park and Garage Student, Police); MTN: N2000 (Park/ Garages Student, Police); Before Sunrise: N2000 (MWUN Tao); Sunrise: N6000 (MWUN, Park and Garages); Brawal Roundabout: N2,000 (MWUN Tao); Brawal Gate: N2,000 (MWUN Tao); Westminster: N2000 (MWUN Tao); Capital: N2,000 (MWUN Tao); Trinity: N2,000 (MWUN Park and Garages); Coconut: N2,000 (MWUN Tao); Top of Coconut bridge: N2000 (MWUN Tao); Down coconut: N2000 (MWUN); 1st Gate N2000 (MWUN Tao); Sand field: N2,000 (MWUN Tao); 2nd Gate Express road: N2,000 (MWUN Tao); MOB Under Bridge: N2,000 (MWUN Tao, Apapa LGA).
Outward Tincan (Apapa-Oshodi Expressway)
Abuja Area: N2,000 (MWUN Tao); On the Bridge: N3,000 (Police); Coconut: 2,000 (Park and Garages); Trinity Bridge: N2,000 (Park and Garages); Berger: N2,000 (Park and Garages); FRSC area: N2,000 (Park and Garages); NAPL: N2,000 (Park and Garages); Mile 2 Bridge: N2,000 (Park and Garages); Kirikiri junction under bridge: (Navy); Orile (Area boys) N2,000; Orile market: N2,000 (Police); Orile before Iganmu bridge: N1000 (area boys).
Apapa Port corridor
Ijora Olopa: N5,000; RRS before bridge: N1,000; Iganmu bridge: N1000; Sifax Ijora: N5,000; Ijora Seven-Up under bridge: three checkpoints, N1,000 each; Total Marine bridge: N5,000; Danlami: N2,000; Under tree Area B: N1,000; Area B three points: N3,000; Airways: N1,000; Eleganza: N1,000; Etisalat: N1000; Fidelity: N5,000; Mr Biggs: N10,000; After Mr Biggs: N1,000, Cocoa Board: N5,000; Port gate: N2,000; FirstBank: N1,000; Hullblyt: N1,000.
Vanguard report hit the nail on the head
Speaking with Vanguard on the intractable gridlock along that route, National President of COMTUA, Adeyinka Aroyewun, said everything in the report by Vanguard, on Wednesday, was the truth and all those mentioned in the report are involved in the collection of illegal tolls along the route.
On the absence of truckers blocking Coconut to Second Gate of Tin-can Island Port, the COMTUA boss said it is because the trucks are trapped between Second Rainbow and Mile 2. He said once they get access through the traffic, the blockade would return.
His words: “Just as Vanguard mentioned the names in the report, it is true. Those who are denying that they are not involved are lying, when the chips are down we will face ourselves. If they need my attention anywhere to verify the claim anywhere, I am available.”
