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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Economy & Trade

Gridlock grips Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as Ogun fails to relocate Kara market

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Commuters faced hours of gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, blaming the Ogun State Government for failing to relocate the Kara Cattle Market.
  • The market's continued presence caused traffic congestion, with ram sellers and livestock occupying the expressway, forcing vehicles to slow down.
  • Commuters criticized the state government for repeated assurances and inaction, citing increased transport fares and psychological stress from the prolonged traffic jams.

Passengers traveling along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway endured hours of severe gridlock on Monday, with many directing blame at the Ogun State Government. Commuters accused the government of failing to relocate the Kara Cattle Market, a persistent cause of traffic congestion, particularly during Eid-el-Kabir trading activities.

Will the government say they’re not aware of what is going on here? Look at the environment and how it is. It is very obvious that the open defecation that has continued to persist along this axis is a result of this market.

· Kunle AlabiA commuter expressing frustration with the environmental conditions and the Ogun State Government's inaction regarding the Kara market.

Punch Metro correspondents observed travelers from the Mowe-Ibafo-Magboro area trapped in traffic stretching from the Long Bridge towards the Kara market. Motorists approaching from Lagos were also stranded, with congestion extending towards the Otedola Bridge axis. The situation led to a significant increase in transport fares, with trips that normally cost between N700 and N800 now ranging from N1,500 to N2,000.

Ram sellers displayed livestock along the expressway's edge, and intending buyers parked their vehicles indiscriminately, occupying one lane. The movement of livestock and traders across the road further slowed traffic. Traffic management officials from various agencies were present, attempting to control the situation.

I was stuck in this traffic yesterday, and the same thing today. Spending several hours inside gridlock often has psychological effects on my productivity because the stress will make me less productive. I have been in this traffic for more than an hour.

· Kunle AlabiDescribing the personal impact of the prolonged traffic jams on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Commuters expressed frustration, faulting the Ogun State Government for its repeated failure to relocate the market despite previous assurances. Kunle Alabi, a commuter, lamented the prolonged gridlock, stating it had a psychological effect on his productivity. He criticized the government's apparent lack of concern, noting the persistent environmental issues, including open defecation, linked to the market's presence. Another commuter, Shola, also blamed the trading activities for worsening the experience of road users and criticized the state government's inaction regarding the environmental eyesore.

It is sad that the Ogun State Government has shown that it is less concerned about the plight of the residents.

· Kunle AlabiCriticizing the Ogun State Government's perceived lack of concern for citizens affected by the traffic gridlock.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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