Travellers on the Abuja-Lokoja expressway have continued to face long hours of delay as the Federal Road Safety Corps blamed motorists’ impatience for the heavy gridlock that stretched from Ogbobo/Ozi to the Murtala Mohammed Bridge in Koton-Karfe, Kogi State.
The Kogi Sector Commander of FRSC, Kumar Tsukwam, said on Monday that officials had been battling since Sunday to ease the traffic but motorists’ behaviour made the situation worse.
“The situation is sad and very unfortunate, considering the time motorists and commuters spend before crossing the gridlock to continue with their journey,” he said.
He explained that the road construction, combined with broken-down vehicles on the single lane, had slowed traffic. But he insisted that drivers were also at fault.
“I think motorists are to be blamed for their display of impatience and blocking their colleagues coming from the opposite direction,” Tsukwam said. “We are trying our best to clear the road to ensure easy passage for the travellers.”
Some travellers narrated their painful experiences. A motorist, Mohammed Yusuf, said he spent nine hours on the road before reaching Lokoja from Abuja.
“I had passengers from Abuja travelling to Lokoja. I left Abuja some minutes before 3 on Sunday, but could only reach there (Lokoja) by midnight. I’m here at Natako Park this Monday morning, trying to get passengers to return to Abuja with the hope that the gridlock might have reduced,” he said.
Yusuf added that drivers were burning fuel on the road despite the high cost of petrol.
Another commuter, Christopher Adamu, said he spent the entire night stuck in traffic. “I left Abuja in the evening on Sunday and had to remain on the road till morning,” he said, urging authorities to act quickly.
NAN reports that a construction company is currently working on the right side of the Abuja-Lokoja road from Koton-Karfe to Abaji. From the Murtala Mohammed Bridge to Koton-Karfe, the right lane was completely blocked.
