The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has attributed the severe gridlock that recently paralysed sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to motorists who ignored traffic regulations and drove against the flow of traffic.
The agency said the actions of impatient drivers significantly worsened an already difficult situation caused by an earlier incident involving a fallen container within an active construction zone along the busy highway.
Speaking on the development, Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Kehinde Hamzat, explained that the gridlock intensified around the Kara, OPIC and Fagbems corridors after motorists abandoned traffic rules in an attempt to bypass the congestion.
According to him, a container had fallen across part of the expressway near the Kara section, obstructing movement and creating delays. While emergency responders and relevant authorities worked to clear the obstruction, several drivers reportedly resorted to counter-flow driving.
Hamzat said the decision created additional complications as vehicles travelling against traffic blocked lanes meant for oncoming motorists, resulting in a near-total standstill even after the container had been removed from the road.
To address the situation, the FRSC convened a meeting involving officials of the Federal Ministry of Works, police authorities in Lagos and Ogun states, and other stakeholders responsible for traffic management and highway operations.
The sector commander noted that security and traffic management agencies have since increased deployment along the corridor. Personnel of the FRSC, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, the police and the military have been positioned at strategic locations to discourage violations and restore order.
“It is flowing, but at a snail’s speed,” Hamzat said, adding that preventing motorists from driving against traffic remained critical to easing congestion.
The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway serves as one of Nigeria’s busiest transportation corridors, linking Lagos with several states in the South-West and beyond. Traffic disruptions along the route often have significant economic consequences due to delays in the movement of people and goods.
The FRSC urged motorists to exercise patience, obey traffic regulations and cooperate with traffic officials. Hamzat also advised long-distance drivers to take adequate rest and avoid driving continuously for extended periods to reduce the risk of accidents and traffic incidents.
