30th June, 2015
Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State Government has dislodged oil tankers from the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway to free the road of horrible traffic gridlock.
Apapa-Oshodi Expressway had been locked down by tankers that came to lift fuel from the various tank farms in the area.
Motorists going to Apapa ends up spending hours driving through the traffic.
In its determination to ensure the safety of Lagosians and free-flow of traffic, government’s agencies stormed the area on Sunday and cleared the tankers.
General Manager, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Engr. Babatunde Edu who led the rescue team of the agency in conjunction with the Nigerian Navy and the police on Sunday, said that over 50 trailers were removed from the area.
He said that the state government, being a responsible and responsive one would ensure that every citizen had a right to the axis and not only the tankers or truck carrying containers.
Edu recalled that several efforts had been made in the past to restore sanity and bring back the old glory of Apapa but noted that the efforts had always been truncated by recalcitrant drivers.
He added that this time around, the enlightenment and enforcement exercise would be a continuous one as the agency would not relent until tanker drivers comply with the directive of government.
According to him, meetings have been held with the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) arm of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to educate their members and ensure that the tanker drivers desist from indiscriminate parking as this could pose danger to other road users.
He urged all tanker drivers to adhere strictly to the new directive, as the State Government would not hesitate to enforce traffic rules and regulations to the letter whenever they violated the law.
Edu called on the public to take possession of the cleared roads and not hesitate to inform the agency of any broken down or abandoned tankers and trucks on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway as LASTMA had been empowered to respond promptly to distress calls.