Motorists were stranded for hours on Sunday as heavy gridlock hit the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway following a surge in patronage at the popular Kara Market ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
The annual Sallah celebration, observed by Muslims worldwide, is expected to hold on Wednesday, prompting increased patronage at ram markets across Lagos and Ogun states.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the Kara Market, located a few kilometres inward from Berger, witnessed a massive influx of buyers and traders, resulting in severe congestion along the ever-busy expressway.
The traffic situation, which reportedly began building up on Saturday, worsened significantly on Sunday as buyers, traders and transporters struggled to gain access to the market.
Our correspondents observed that long queues of vehicles stretched across both sides of the road, while commercial buses, private cars and trucks conveying livestock competed for space on the highway.
Some motorists lamented that journeys that should ordinarily last a few minutes extended into several hours due to the congestion around the market area.
A motorist, Femi Adesanya, said he spent more than two hours navigating the traffic around the area.
“The traffic is terrible. A journey that should not have taken up to 20 minutes kept me on the road for hours. Everybody is rushing to buy rams for Sallah, and the market has completely taken over the expressway,” he said.
Another commuter, Bose Akinyemi, blamed the gridlock on indiscriminate parking and roadside trading activities.
“People park carelessly while trying to buy rams. Some even stop in the middle of the road to negotiate prices. It has become chaotic,” she lamented.
Our correspondent observed security operatives and traffic officials stationed around the OPIC area directing vehicles and attempting to maintain a single lane for smoother traffic flow.
A road safety official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, attributed the congestion to the activities of traders and buyers around the market.
“The fact that vehicles have taken over one lane of the road means traffic is inevitable. Buyers moving in and out of the market are also contributing to the congestion,” the official said.
Commercial drivers also expressed frustration over the gridlock.
A driver identified simply as Kamoru said transport operators had been trapped in the traffic since morning.
“We have been stuck here since morning. Everybody is frustrated. This usually happens every year during Sallah around Kara Market, but we are the ones who suffer most,” he said.
Another motorist called on the Ogun State Government to relocate the market to a more suitable location.
“The Ogun State Government needs to move the market away from this spot. We cannot continue to experience this every year. During every festive period, this road becomes impassable because of people coming to buy rams,” he said.
PUNCH Metro also observed some motorists attempting to beat the traffic by driving against traffic on the Long Bridge.
However, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps intercepted and redirected the motorists to prevent accidents and further congestion.
The gridlock also led to an increase in transport fares, leaving many commuters stranded at the Wawa bus stop.
A commuter, Mojisola Alao, lamented the hike in transport costs.
“I came to visit a relative, only to discover that transport fares had increased. A trip to Mile 2 that used to cost about N1,500 is now N2,500, and even at that, buses are not readily available,” she said.
As of the time of filing this report, traffic officials were still making efforts to ease vehicular movement around the area.
Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed that the gridlock was caused by the activities of ram sellers at the Kara Market.
Taofiq disclosed that the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, deployed additional personnel to the area after noticing that the congestion was extending into the Lagos section of the expressway.
He added that the Rapid Response Squad was also contacted to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the traffic situation to attack motorists.
“The gridlock was caused by the activities of the ram sellers at Kara Market. When we observed that the traffic could extend into the Lagos section of the expressway, the General Manager deployed additional personnel to assist with traffic management.
“Although the Kara axis is outside Lagos State, we had to take proactive measures for the benefit of Lagosians and other Nigerians using the route.
“The GM also alerted the RRS to intensify patrols and ensure miscreants do not take advantage of the situation to dispossess motorists of their belongings,” Taofiq said.
He further urged neighbouring states to strengthen their traffic management operations around major commercial corridors during festive periods.
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