Some residents of Badagry in Lagos State, on Thursday decried what they called indiscriminate parking of some trucks on Lagos – Badagry Expressway.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Badagry that the uncoordinated parking was causing accidents and hardship for other road users.
NAN reports that since the Federal Government reopened land borders, some trucks carrying cement to the neighbouring countries like Republic of Benin, Togo, Ghana and Senegal, had been passing through the expressway.
It reports that most of the trucks used to park along the expressway indiscriminately to take a respite before continuing with their journey outside the country.
Commenting, Bishop Babatunde Adeyemi, Diocese of Anglican Communion, Cathedral Church of St. Thomas, Badagry, Lagos State, said the truck drivers had turned the portion between Ibereko and the roundabout to their parking lots.
According to him, the drivers are gradually taking over one of the two lanes without anybody checking them.
Adeyemi said that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other traffic officials seemed not to notice that the truck’s presence was a problem to motorists.
“The local government should check them now before they become a menace to other road users.
“Both state and local governments should find a place for them to pack so that other road users will not be put to unnecessary difficulties,” he said.
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Similarly, Chief Samuel Ofade, a traditional chief in Badagry, said that motorists were not finding it easy plying the road, especially at Toriko Junction in Ajara.
“This dangerous parking has caused many accidents and untold hardship on the people living in Badagry.
“Youths are agitating to raise a gathering to send the truck drivers off the said areas of the roads, if the government will not do something,” he said.
In his reactions, Mr Idowu Jimoh, a community leader, urged the drivers to consider other road users while parking on the expressway.
“Since the Federal Government announced land borders reopening, the trucks have taken over our roads.
“While traffic agents arrest other road users who parked along the expressway, they allowed the trucks to park any how, this is not good, we are all equal before the law,” he said.
When contacted, Mr Ganiyu Olalekan, the Treasurer, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), said the arbitrary parking had caused accidents to many of their commercial buses plying the expressway.
“It is always dark in the night and those trucks have occupied the motorable parts of the expressway leaving our drivers to struggle with half way left.
“We have reported this to the Police and Neighborhood Corps, but nothing is happening.
“We want to beg the agency in charge of the road to find a place for them,” he said.
However, Sunday Emmanuel, a vulcanizer whose workshop was at the expressway where the drivers parked their trucks, said that the drivers used to arrive at the spot from 11.00 p.m.
Emmanuel added that the drivers often left their trucks till evening of the following day before coming back to move their truck across the border.
In his views, Mr Sulaiman Taiwo, the Unit Commander, FRSC Badagry, told NAN that the command had written a letter to the transport managers of the companies that owned the trucks, complaining about the arbitrary parking by their drivers on the expressway.
Taiwo said that the command would be meeting them on June 1 to discuss the issue.
He said the FRSC unit was not sleeping on the matter, adding that the trucks would no longer be allowed to park on the road again.
