The Costain area in Lagos has become a nightmare for commuters and motorists who have to pass through the bedlam stricken area to reach places of work every other day.
From the Abebe village road area where Nigerian Breweries is perched to the entire circle that connects the interchange to Oyingbo, Eko Bridge, Apapa, Orile, Surulere, National Theater and Western Avenue, articulated trucks park smack in the middle of the road, motorists resort to one way traffic and commuters spend hours trying to navigate their way out of the commotion, as traffic control personnel look on helplessly.
It’s been that way since November gave way to December in the nation’s commercial and economic capital.
Heck, it's been that way in Costain forever.
'This is really bad'
This week, Pulse has paid repeated visits to Costain as early as 5am to have a first hand feel of the situation and we can say the frustration, bedlam and commotion is better experienced.
“This is bad. Really bad. The Lagos and federal governments should do something urgently about the worsening situation around Costain. I have been here for 4hrs and we have still gone nowhere. I just called my boss to say I’d be resuming late today. I have been calling in late since Monday,” a commuter who identified himself as Bayo, told Pulse as two cars struggling for right of way collided just meters away.
The worsening gridlock in Costain arrives seven months after President Muhammadu Buhari handed truck drivers in Lagos a 72-hour ultimatum to get their vehicles off all roads leading to Nigeria’s busiest and premier port.
The president also set up a committee and task force headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to rid all roads emptying into the ports of the articulated trucks that compound traffic in a city notorious for its perennial traffic woes.
“Operators of trucks and tankers have been directed to vacate the port access roads within the next 72 hours”, the president directed. “A presidential directive has been issued for the immediate clearing up of the Apapa gridlock and the restoration of law and order to Apapa and its environs within 2 weeks.”
However, Pulse can report that the trucks have gone nowhere since the directive from the nation’s president.
Vehicular movement on Eko bridge has been turned into an extreme sport by articulated trucks during rush hour and Costain has retained a reputation for gridlock, since the presidential directive.
Lagos suffers, Nigeria suffers
Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says he’s working on a long term plan to rid Costain and Apapa of truck and trailer congestion.
“On the decongestion of Apapa, we have identified a trailer park that is going to take 6,000 trucks. The construction will start in earnest. We are also working with the NPA (Nigeria Ports Authority) and the Nigerian Shipper's Council for a long-lasting solution,” Sanwo-Olu said last week.
Hon Victor Akinjo, who is Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Privatization and Commercialization says the gridlock in Lagos costs the Nigerian economy N600billion monthly.