Travellers, Drivers Want Speedy Completion Of Abuja-Lokoja Carriageway

The Federal Government has been urged to ensure speedy completion of the Abuja-Lokoja dual carriageway to save travellers the harrowing experience of hold-up on the road.

A cross section of people who plied the road told our correspondent at Kwali axis of the road that the delay had become unbearable.

Mr Andrew Chukwu, a commercial driver attached to a transport company in the eastern part of the country, described the annual hold-up on the road as “terrible”.

“We have been experiencing this trauma for many years now on this road, especially during festive periods; it is high time the Federal Government completed the construction work as the people’s suffering is getting too much.

“We are always held up for many hours during which passengers are subjected to all manner of suffering not to talk of the overheating and other mechanical challenges,” he said.

Another commercial driver, Malam Mohammed Haruna, said he had been spending a lot to repair his Golf car as a result of the damage caused by the hold-up.

He also called on the government to ensure speedy completion of the road to safe drivers the burden of spending substantial amount of money on repairing their vehicles.

Some passengers – Abdulkarim Isa, Micheal Alabi, Onucheyo Issac, Ojo Olabisi and Miss Abigeal Aileku – described their experience on Wednesday as “ unfortunate’’ and “uncalled for”.

Our correspondent, who also plied the road from Lokoja to Abuja on Wednesday, reports that passengers got stranded in the long queue between Abaji and Gwagwalada axis of the road.

An officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, who was busy controlling traffic on the road, told correspondent on condition of anonymity, that impatience on the part of many drivers was responsible partly for the build-up.

“Many drivers will deliberately refuse to obey traffic rules and regulations by causing obstruction whenever there is a slight hold- up thereby blocking the chances of other users.

“In this kind of scenario, the result is usually a traffic jam. If these lawless drivers can keep to their lanes the problem will be minimised.’’