Commuters Groan, Filling Station Queue Compounds Lagos Traffic, as Fuel Scarcity Bites Harder
By Ranmilowo Ojalumo
This is not the best of time for road users in Lagos State, as the queue for fuel at various petroleum stations across the state has compounded the traffic problem in the State.
Nigerians woke on Tuesday this week to notice slight queue at filling stations in major cities across the country, indicating fuel scarcity, with Lagos and Abuja having the biggest effect. The fuel scarcity had surfaced in October and later disappeared until it resurfaced early this week, but as of Friday afternoon, November 25, 2022; The Factual Nigeria report that the situation in Lagos has gone from bad to worst.
The Factual Nigeria findings from the monitoring of the situation in Lagos on Thursday and Friday afternoon showed that there are hectic traffic in some of the roads where there are fuel stations in the state, as many vehicles queued for the product, leaving one lane for other vehicles that are passing.
In some places, some of the vehicles who could not find their way into an existing single line form another line, blocking the road, such that vehicles will find it difficult to continue their journey.
The affected roads from The Factual Nigeria monitoring between Thursday and the time of filling this report include Oba Akran, in Ikeja, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ile-Epo- Iyana Ekoro, Abule Egba Ekoro Road, Lagos Abeokuta Express Road, Victoria Island –Lekki-Ajah Road, Ikorodu Road, Agege Abule-Egba Road, Oba Ogunji Road, Agege- Iju- Ishaga Road among others.
Findings have also shown that the product is being sold for between N190 to N230. In some stations that were selling below N200, buyer will have to pay N200 first before they will sell the product in jerrycan. Even in some stations that are not selling the product, as of the time of plying some of the roads, there were queue, as vehicle owners were waiting for the ‘unknown time’ that such stations will begin to sell the product.
The situation has rendered many road users frustrated, as they have to spend more time to get to their destination. A commuter at Oba Akran, Kunle Badru lamented the situation, while calling on the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority to intervene and control traffic around all filling stations to achieve free flow of traffic.
Ike Thomas, one of the car owners that queue for fuel at Mobolaji Bank Anthony Road said the development is not the fault of the vehicle owners that queue for fuel but because they are equally frustrated, as they can’t easily find the product, so they have to wait in any available place. He blamed the government for its inability to avert the scarcity.
When fuel scarcity first surfaced in October, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Bolaji Oreagba, had cautioned motorists against causing serious traffic gridlock while queuing up for fuel at filling stations. He issued the warning while deploying more officers of the authority on monitoring traffic around filling stations across the State.
With the current situation, the authority may have to reactivate the monitoring officers, strengthen them and ensure they cover as many roads as possible.
