HEAVY TRUCKS/TANKERS FLOOD THE STREETS OF LAGOS

Onyebuchi Odianjo   

The street of Lagos has been flooded with very heavy trucks/tankers and transporters from fuel tanks to cargo trucks. This was notably found in areas like CMS, Ojuelebga, Apapa and several locations in Lagos. It has been alleged that this maybe as a result of the shipment activities and has resulted to traffic, price hick, and tension of safety.

"On Saturday 16^th September 2017, I had a job to do on the Island, I took a bus from Bode Thomas and spent 5 hours on the road because big trucks had created a queue which resulted in a roadblock; today again, going to work, the same thing," an angry passenger said. 

This had caused a nuisance as there has been notable traffic on the streets from Ojueleba to somewhere in Apapa which led to a drastic increase in transport fare for public vehicles/ Danfo buses. Aside from these factors, is it safe for numerous trucks/tankers to be on the streets at the same time, especially on the bridges?

The next question may sound silly to some but are these trucks and tankers not too heavy for the bridges? If not, are these bridges frequently checked and maintained? If yes, what is the assurance that these tankers drive carefully as they can to avoid catastrophes like them falling off the bridge?; and for the trucks/tankers that carry containers around, how tightly sealed are they? Are they safe enough for transit?

For safety reasons, there was a Lagos state traffic law which states that ‘big trucks/tankers are only allowed on transit at night,’ if so, is this still applicable in the streets of Lagos? This law can be affirmed in a report  by several publications on   

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/traffic-law-lagos-lists-vehicles-that-can-operate-from-6am-9pm/  &

http://www.nairaland.com/1007615/fashola-signs-lagos-road-traffic   & https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/07/26/truck-owners-prosecuted-drivers-frsc/ 

The well being of the citizens of Nigeria is paramount. If nothing can be provided for the people, at least let us feel safe and at peace in our environment. Something needs to be done to avert ‘stories that touch.’ As usual, all thoughts are done in a simple Danfo bus.  

#trishdianslagosseries