Residents of Enugu have called on the state government to construct flyover bridges at some strategic locations to reduce the heavy traffic jams being experienced within the state capital.
Some residents who spoke with Cityfile, however, commended the state government for the ongoing construction of pedestrian bridges, but pointed out that such measures would not solve the traffic challenge.
The state government is erecting a pedestrian bridge at the Holy Ghost Bus Stop, but some residents said it would have been better the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration built a flyover at that point.
Uchenna Ibeh, an inter-state commercial driver who spoke with Cityfile, maintained that traffic congestions within Enugu were majorly caused by increasing vehicles on the roads and not passersby. He argued that the pedestrian crossing has little to contribute to traffic decongestion at the Holy Ghost area.
Ibeh also complained about the activities of traffic control officers, the police and ministry of transport.
Some of the areas pointed out by the commercial drivers for flyovers include Holy Ghost, Mayor, Abakpa ,Garriki and Four Corner junction along Enugu-Port Harcourt Express way.
Another driver, Uche Oji who operates from Garriki to Holy Ghost described the pedestrian bridges as a misplaced priority because the challenges in those places were not caused by human traffic but vehicles. He also called on the government to look into the deplorable state of inner roads in the state.
“Let me also tell you that constructing flyovers in these places particularly Holy Ghost will bring the name of the governor out forever,” he said.
Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) also said that a flyover would have been a better option, saying that a lot of people would still not use the pedestrian bridges when completed.
They also appealed to the state ministry of transport to compel commercial drivers in Garriki area of the state to make use of the parks instead of loading along the road which is the major cause of traffic jams in the area thereby encourage criminals to dispossess passengers of their wares.
