FRSC: driving against traffic on Lagos-Ibadan highway to attract psychiatric test

THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said any motorists caught creating additional lanes and or driving against traffic on the Lagos-lbadan Expressway will be booked for a psychiatric check.

FRSC Lagos State Sector Commander Mr. Hyginus Omeje, who stated this at the weekend in Lagos, said erring motorists would also have their vehicles impounded.

According to Omeje, one of the causes of the constant gridlock on the road is impatience and lane abuse by most road users.

He said: “A good assessment of the road, which I have done severally, revealed that there is nothing wrong with the road. But everything is wrong with the users, who constitute a law unto themselves and willfully break all known laws of transportation.

“Although, the road is undergoing rehabilitation and expansion, which has gotten to Magboro by MFM Church and at that point, lbadan bound traffic was diverted to share the lane with inward Lagos traffic.

“The narrowing of the carriageway at the diversion point caused serious gridlock last week.

“The problem is always compounded anytime motorists create additional lanes or drive against traffic, leading to crashes.

“We are not interested in arrest, but to get the road free of gridlock. However, many motorists are creating a problem for us by creating additional lanes or driving against traffic, especially anytime there’s a breakdown.

“We will soon start to book erring road users, who are compounding problems on that corridor,” Omeje said.

The FRSC chief noted that impatience had caused so much chaos and harrowing experience for motorists on the corridor.

He urged motorists to always maintain their lanes, saying that lane discipline and obedience to traffic law is required by all road users to ensure a free flow of traffic.

Omeje said the construction companies from OPIC had put signage from 50 kilometres, 80 kilometres, and 100 kilometres per hour speed limit.

“No spirit, no demon is causing anything on that road, but the attitude of the road users, which is underscored by impatience and lawlessness.

“Our men are ready to enforce the law and to curb the excesses of people creating additional lanes and driving against traffic.”

The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is 127.6-kilometre long (79.3 miles) connecting lbadan to Lagos and also a major route to the Eastern, Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria.

The expressway is the oldest in Nigeria and was commissioned in August 1978.

It is also the busiest interstate route in Nigeria and handles more than 250,000 vehicles daily and constitutes one of the largest road networks in Africa.