Francesca Odimgbe
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has taken full responsibility and apologised to motorists who endured prolonged traffic gridlock for several hours on Wednesday following the closure of the Independence Bridge in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking during an on-the-spot assessment of the Independence Bridge on Thursday morning, Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was accompanied by the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi; his Information and Strategy counterpart, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso and Special Adviser to the Governor on Transport, Hon. Sola Giwa, among other State officials, said inadequate public communication and planning about the road closure contributed to the traffic congestion witnessed by motorists on Wednesday.
Sanwo-Olu, who noted that work on the bridge had commenced earlier but the full impact became evident due to the road closure, attributed the heavy traffic to the mass return of workers after the Eid-el-Fitr holiday, with a large number of commuters resuming duty at the same time.
“This was a case of everyone rushing out at the same time after a long weekend to return to their workplaces. This part of the city (Island) is the Central Business District. It was due to inadequate communication, and I take full responsibility.
“Work had already started on the bridge and it was assumed that people were aware. Communication is key to enforcement, and we must continue providing updates to help people plan alternative routes,” he said.
The Governor said the bridge would be closed for about three weeks and therefore appealed to residents whose jobs do not require physical presence on the Island to consider alternative work arrangements, as was done during the COVID-19 pandemic, to reduce vehicular movement and help ease congestion on the roads.
“For those who don’t need to be physically present on the Island in the next two to three weeks, I encourage you to use virtual means such as telephone and Zoom meetings. Plan ahead for your business and consider working remotely.
“This is not the time to drive recklessly or go against traffic. A little patience will go a long way in solving the problem,” the Governor advised.
The Governor assured that additional traffic enforcement officers and security personnel would be deployed to manage traffic flow and ensure the safety of motorists throughout the rehabilitation period to mitigate the impact of the closure.
“You will see twice the number of LASTMA officers on the road, working late into the night to ease the congestion,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu, while responding to the directive by the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, for the immediate reopening of the bridge, said the order might not be feasible, given the current state of the road. He explained that ongoing excavation work had rendered the route impassable.