The Federal Road Safety Corps has warned motorists against driving against traffic on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway as repair works continue on the Kara Bridge, stating that violators will be penalised regardless of their status.
The Lagos Sector Commander of the corps, Kehinde Hamzat, issued the warning on Monday, February 9, during an on-the-spot assessment of traffic congestion along the corridor.
He reacted to complaints that some security and government vehicles were flouting traffic regulations, describing the conduct as unacceptable.
“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.
Hamzat noted that internal disciplinary measures by the affected agencies are often more severe than sanctions imposed 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,” he added.
Traffic congestion has intensified following the commencement of rehabilitation works on the Kara Bridge along the expressway. The FRSC previously announced that the repairs would last at least two months.
According to the corps, damaged sections of the road had contributed to multiple crashes, particularly as motorists attempted to dodge oncoming vehicles. To accelerate the process, two expansion joints are being repaired simultaneously using faster-curing materials.
Hamzat also attributed part of the road’s deterioration to overloading, disclosing that weighbridges would be deployed to curb the practice.
Providing an update on traffic management, the sector commander said officers had been strategically deployed to prevent motorists from driving one-way.
“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 heading into Lagos were experiencing delays due to construction-related backlog but stressed the importance of discipline.
“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 permitting motorists to drive one-way at critical points such as the Opic turning could cripple traffic 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 traffic violations.
“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 enforcement, he said FRSC personnel would remain deployed throughout the duration 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.
The corps, he added, is working in collaboration with other security agencies to ensure compliance until the rehabilitation works are completed.
