Commuters in Nigeria commercial capital Lagos, continues to groan under heavy traffic, orchestrated by the closure of the Independence Bridge a major road network linking Victoria Island and other parts of Lagos.
Angry motorists and commuters, who use the road daily, have blamed both the Federal and Lagos State government for lack of adequate arrangements for alternative routes, to reduce the impacts of the closure.
Yesterday was only the second day of the closure and almost all adjourning roads in and out of Victoria Island were all impassable in what has become another nightmare for commuters already groaning from high gas prices and economic hardship.
Many Lagosians, took to the social media to express their frustrations over the chaotic situation.
The traffic officials were not left out of the blame, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and traffic wardens were all berated by citizens for not being on ground to control and manage traffic situation around Victoria Island.
One X(twitter) user, @KlasickTheHost, wrote: “You guys don’t even rate the residents of the said Lagos city. You think you can just do anything you want at any time without a proper public announcement about whatever it is you were fixing before the time.
“That’s how you wake up tomorrow and just inconvenience the citizens or ban anything.”
Another user, who refers to himself as The People’s Lawyer @DpeopleLawyers wrote: “While we appreciate your visit and apology, Lagosians need immediate, practical solutions—not just a shift of responsibility to private companies.”
To better manage the traffic crisis, he urged the state government to “Prioritize weekend and night time repairs to minimise disruption during peak hours, implement a timed repair schedule with clear milestones and public updates.
“Lead by example—start remote work with civil servants first before urging private companies.
“Deploy more LASTMA officials and real-time traffic monitoring for effective control. Improve public communication with alternative route advisories via traffic apps and media.
“Lagosians are enduring this hardship, but better planning and execution will ease the burden. Let’s act decisively to make Lagos work efficiently for all.”
On his part, another X user, Daramola (@sdqolami) said: “I couldn’t find any traffic management officials on the entire road we waited till 11 pm to leave office, couldn’t get home until 5 am. I am very disappointed in your team.”
Also recounting their experiences during Wednesday’s gridlock, some motorists attributed their sufferings to a lack of adequate security and traffic control on the route.
They also insisted that they will not be able to endure the gridlock for two months that the bridge will be closed.
