Displaced from their usual base at Apapa, where they have been causing dreadful and traumatic traffic gridlock, petroleum tankers have relocated to their former parking lot, situated directly opposite Rutam House, The Guardian's corporate headquarters, on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.
The trucks parked by side of the road from their allocated parking lot to as far as Under the Bridge Bus stop, on the Murtala Mohammed Airport Road.
Displaced from their usual base at Apapa, where they have been causing dreadful and traumatic traffic gridlock, petroleum tankers have relocated to their former parking lot, situated directly opposite Rutam House, The Guardian's corporate headquarters, on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.
The trucks parked by side of the road from their allocated parking lot to as far as Under the Bridge Bus stop, on the Murtala Mohammed Airport Road.
The indiscriminate manner the trucks are parked does not only constitute an eyesore but also pose danger to ignorant motorists coming from the airport at night towards Apapa.
Some of the tanker drivers at night, because no law enforcement agents are around, drive against the traffic, facing the vehicles coming from the opposite direction.
Apart from that, some of the tankers parked on the airport road pose danger to motorists going to the airport in a hurry to catch their flight in the night.
Drivers coming from the tollgate sometime meet the trucks coming from the opposite direction, immediately they enter the airport road after negotiating the nearby corner.
Michael Edun, a civil servant, whose office is along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, described the presence of the trucks in the area as unbecoming.
"It is a shame that our government cannot find solution to the menace caused by these tanker drivers, who are fond of parking their trucks along the side of major highways in the city.
"Personally, I had a nasty experience recently. I was going to Ajao Estate from Agege and instead of going through Oshodi, I decided to pass through the Local Airport to get to my destination on time. But I encountered a terrible traffic holdup caused by the tankers on the Airport road. It was a very bad experience that night as I wasted several hours before I got to my destination.
"Since the tanker drivers are now taking over the entire airport road, one wonders where next they would be moving to, maybe they would sooner or later take over the entire city of Lagos."
Some motorists, who spoke on the matter, urged the government to find solution to the menace caused by the truck drivers by providing a convenient and spacious place for them to park their monsters.
One of the truck drivers disclosed that some of them are forced to dump their trucks by the roadside to compel those concerned to find solution to their plight caused by lack of parking lot.
"We cannot take the trucks to where we live and park in front of residence. We are employees to the owners of the trucks, majority of whom are government officials. They (the truck owners) should find solutions to the problem. If the government comes to tow the trucks because they are parked illegally by the roadside, we (the truck drivers) will inform the owners to solve the problem," the driver said.
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