Apapa traffic abates as commuters’ hopes on sustainability

Travel time into Apapa through the Costain and Lagos Island routes inward Ijora has reduced substantially following the drastically improved decongestion of tankers and trailers by the presidential task team on the restoration of law and order in Apapa led by Kayode Opeifa, execution vice-chairman of the Presidential Task Team on the Restoration of Law & Order in Apapa (PTTO-RLO).

BusinessDay reporter who plies the affected routes leading to the Apapa seaports everyday can authoritatively report that, travel time through the Eko Bridge and Lagos Island ends has dropped significantly through the efforts of the Kayode Opeifa-led PTTO-RLO and a special police task team.

Checks by our reporter reveals that journey time from Ikoyi to Apapa which can last for many hours before as a result of total breakdown of traffic enforcements by the appropriates authorities according a resident on Banana Island now takes at most 30 minutes.

Travelling along the congested Ikorodu road inward Ijora into the ever-busy Apapa wharf road have also improved significantly as the deluge of trailers, tankers and containers and other articulated vehicles have disappeared, while other vehicles found along the Wharf road are said to have genuine businesses entering or exiting the seaport

Despite the momentary relief coming the way of residents and the remaining business owners in Apapa, commuters who spoke to BusinessDay last Monday said, they are optimisitic that, the prevailing relative ease of traffic gridlock being experienced along the corridor would be sustained despite all challenges.

While the Vice President chairs the task force, its daily operations are supervised by an Executive Vice Chairman, Kayode Opeifa. Membership of the team is drawn from the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Shippers Council.

Other members include a special unit of the Nigeria Police Force led by a commissioner of police as head of enforcement, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), representatives of the truck transport union, the Lagos state government through the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and other relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

The directive followed an emergency meeting convened last April by President Muhammadu Buhari and chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.