Passengers and motorists have been stranded for days on the Lokoja-Abuja highway following a prolonged gridlock triggered by the deplorable condition of the road, ongoing repair works and a road accident at Bada.
The traffic congestion which started on Thursday night, had persisted till yesterday, leaving travelers trapped for several hours on the major highway.
A visit by our correspondent to the area yesterday showed several vehicles stuck in traffic, with frustrated passengers abandoning their vehicles and trekking long distances in search of alternative means of transportation.
Some of the stranded passengers told LEADERSHIP that they were travelling from Kaduna to the eastern part of the country.
Checks by LEADERSHIP Sunday showed that the congestion, which initially built up around Gegu-Eba in Kogi local government area, extended to Nataco in Lokoja local government area and Gegu-Beki in Kogi local government area.
A passenger, Hamza Aliyu, said he spent more than seven hours travelling between Banda and Lokoja due to the traffic situation. Banda is ordinarily less than five kilometers from Lokaja town.
Another passenger, Ogunye Haruna, said he paid N6,000 to hire a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as okada, from Jamata to Nataco in Lokoja.
“I had to pay N6,000 on okada to get to this place, Nataco. In the process, I almost lost my phone. As you can see, I am already worn out. I have missed my appointment already.
“We want the government to come to our aid. People are really suffering.”
Passengers attempting to cross the River Niger Bridge from the Lokoja axis were reportedly charged as much as N6,000 per person, while similar fares were demanded from travelers approaching from the Abuja axis.
Many passengers were forced to trek considerable distances before boarding motorcycles or securing other alternative means of transportation.
Meanwhile, personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), security agencies and others have been working to ease the congestion and restore free flow of traffic.
The latest gridlock has renewed concerns over the condition of the Lokoja-Abuja highway, one of the country’s critical road corridors, particularly with the year-end travel season fast approaching.
Stakeholders and commuters have continued to call for urgent intervention to accelerate the rehabilitation of the highway and prevent a recurrence of the prolonged traffic crisis.
