The Federal Road Safety Corps has cautioned motorists on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway against driving against traffic as repair works continue on the Kara Bridge, warning that offenders will be penalised regardless of their status.
The Lagos Sector Commander of the FRSC, Kehinde Hamzat, issued the warning on Monday during an on-the-spot assessment of traffic congestion along the corridor.
Reacting to complaints that some security and government vehicles were still violating traffic rules, Hamzat told Channels TV that the act is unacceptable and an abuse of office.
“It is wrong. Many times, we take some of their details.
“Like I saw one pass when I was at the Opic turning; we’ve taken the details and we will report appropriately to the man in there,” he said.
According to him, internal sanctions imposed by affected agencies are often more severe than penalties handed down by the FRSC.
“The kind of penalty given by their management is much more than the one we would think we want to give, because it’s a stain on the agency and a stain on the person in question.
“It’s an abuse of office, which is not supposed to be,” Hamzat added.
Traffic congestion has worsened in the area following the commencement of rehabilitation works on the Kara Bridge.
The FRSC had earlier announced that the repairs would last at least two months.
The Corps said the damaged sections of the road had contributed to multiple crashes, particularly as motorists attempted to dodge oncoming vehicles.
To speed up completion, two expansion joints are being repaired simultaneously using faster-curing materials.
Hamzat also blamed overloading for the deterioration of the road, noting that weighbridges would be deployed to address the problem.
Providing an update on traffic control measures, the sector commander told Channels Tv that officers had been strategically deployed to prevent motorists from driving against traffic.
“We have done a strategic deployment along the corridor. If you can see, no one is allowed now to drive against traffic.
“From Warewa, where people usually try to enter the long bridge, we refuse,” he said.
He acknowledged that motorists travelling into Lagos were experiencing delays due to construction-related backlog but insisted that discipline was key to preventing total gridlock.
“Yes, people coming into Lagos will feel some pains because, as a result of the construction, there’s a form of backlog. But if it’s moving, it will be better than blocking both sides of the road,” he explained.
Hamzat warned that allowing motorists to drive one-way at critical points such as the Opic turning could cripple traffic flow on both sides of the expressway.
“As it is now, people going out of Lagos towards Ibadan have free flow. People coming into Lagos have some element of backlog, which is not unexpected. All we need is discipline,” he said.
He disclosed that several motorists had already been arrested for violating traffic rules.
“We have arrested some people who tried to drive against traffic, and they have been put in places where they may be fined, as well as presented before a court of competent jurisdiction,” Hamzat stated.
On the duration of enforcement, the sector commander said FRSC personnel would remain on duty throughout the period of the repairs.
“They will be here till evening. Towards evening, traffic flow will be more outward Lagos, so the construction sites would receive less traffic.
“But our men will always be on ground because we have scheduled them on shifts,” he said.
Hamzat added that the Corps was working in collaboration with other security agencies to ensure compliance for the duration of the project.
