FG to end Apapa gridlock soon … As users appeal for permanent solution

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday reinstated the Federal Government’s commitment to resolve the gridlock witnessed on Apapa road, which he said “would soon be a thing of the past“.

Amaechi said this while receiving members of the Governing Board, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) led by the Chairman, Hon. Mai Mala Buni in Abuja.

He said that the problem, which had persisted over the years, was due to the country’s port located at Apapa, which was best described as a River Port.

According to him, the port neither has the depth nor the capacity to berth large ships.

He said that Federal Government had plans to build Deep Seaports at Bonny in Rivers State, Warri in Delta State and Lekki in Lagos State.

“The approval of President Muhammadu Buhari to build Deep Seaports at Bonny and Warri, importers from Aba, Onitsha or Port Harcourt will no longer have business importing cargoes through Apapa Port.

“Thereby saving man-hours wasted in trying to clear goods and transport to its final destination.

The minister, however, called on all agencies and stakeholders involved in port operations to deliver on their responsibilities to solve the problems at the ports.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Governing Board, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, commended the minister for the support given to the board.

He said that the board would formulate policies that would not only help NSC to fulfil its statutory role but diversify the economy, create employment and uplift the standard of living of the people.

Buni appealed to the minister to assist the board earn the strong political support required to have unfettered access to the ports and other establishments to carry out its statutory functions.

Meanwhile, motorists plying the route and other road users have again appealed to the federal and state governments to find a permanent solution.

The motorists expressed disappointment that for years bad roads which were the major cause of the problem could not be addressed.

The people lamented that unavailability of traffic wardens, lack of traffic signals and the ongoing reconstruction on some sections of the road contributed to the gridlock.

They also regretted the attendant economic and man-hour losses, saying that on the whole, the nation paid dearly for it.

Mr Precious Ezeh, a nutritionist who plies the road daily to work, claimed that the absence of traffic wardens to control the flow of traffic had added to the gridlock.

“I hardly see traffic wardens controlling the flow of traffic in places where there are no traffic lights and even where there are, they are not usually effective.

“Since everyone is in a hurry to reach their destination, no one is patient enough to let the other pass.

“The convergence of vehicles at crossroads leads to gridlock; the government should ensure that traffic wardens perform their duties, so that they can ease traffic jam.

“The government should come to our aid. The gridlock on the road leaves me tired. I get to the office tired and it affects my output at work,’’ he said.

A civil servant, Mrs Princess Uboho, who believes that the condition of the road was the major cause of the gridlock, said that the potholes on it were too many.

“The potholes on the road are more like craters. When the motorist gets to that point, they try to slow down which causes traffic jam.

“The condition of the road also affects vehicles and cause them to breakdown resulting in traffic jam which expose people to risks like armed robbery, especially at night,’’ Uboho said.

Mr Andrew Ngene, who works in a private firm at Apapa, said he believed the ongoing construction was the major cause of the gridlock.

“’The government should create a diversion for motorists.

“Staying too long in traffic affects the car which leads to overheating of the vehicle and even the health of the driver and his passengers,’’ he said.

Reacting, Mr Adedotun Abayomi, a Patrol Commander in the Lagos State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), pointed out that the ongoing construction of the Apapa road was the main cause of the gridlock.

“The ongoing construction at Apapa is the main cause of the gridlock and until the construction is over, the traffic will continue.

“The heavy duty vehicles on the road should also be cleared to ease the flow of traffic. This is why we have a patrol team that goes about to ease traffic at some designated points,’’ he said.