Traffic Jam on Lagos-Ibadan Road Causes Fare Hike and Fatal Accident

Commuters stuck in the long traffic jam on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway had to pay as much as N5,000 for trips that usually cost much less. This traffic mess, caused by ongoing repairs on the Kara Bridge, continued on Wednesday.

The gridlock stretched from Fatgbems area through Long Bridge, Arepo, Mowe, and other parts of the Lagos-Ibadan road. Many commuters were stuck for hours, leading some to walk after transport operators raised fares sharply.

The traffic jam started on Tuesday and lasted over 22 hours in some areas. This also led to several crashes. One accident near Ipara Remo in Ogun State resulted in four deaths and one injury.

The fare increases hit both buses and motorcycles. Commuters reported that operators took advantage of the situation to raise prices much higher than usual.

Yemisi Adedugbe, a commuter, said she paid N4,000 for a trip from Mowe to Berger. She shared, "Just imagine, I entered a bus from Mowe to Berger for N4,000. They’ve done a meeting amongst themselves; nobody is carrying it for less than that, leaving people who can’t afford it to go back home or resort to trekking."

Moyinoluwa Oluyemi said bus operators asked for N3,000 for a trip from Ibafo to OPIC, a route that normally costs N400 to N500. She explained, "It is usually N400 or N500 maximum from here to that area. The bus conductors started shouting N3,000. They were even harsh when we tried to price it, asking us to trek if we didn’t have it."

Mrs Funmilayo Dairo decided to leave her car and use a motorcycle to get through the traffic to work. But she found that motorcycle fares had also gone up. Dairo said, "I left my car at home, thinking I could see a bike that would manoeuvre through the traffic so I could get to work on time. The bike I got was charging N5,000 to Berger from Arepo here."

Another commuter, Mrs Daramola Aina, was charged N2,000 for a trip from Magboro to OPIC while heading home on Tuesday night. She ended up trekking to Arepo before finding another bus. She said, "When I was going home last night, the bus conductor called from Magboro to OPIC for N2,000. So, I resorted to trekking to Arepo before entering a bus. It was difficult to find a bus at that point because everything was full, but I ended up entering one that carried me for N1,500, which is not a significant difference."

Aina noted that the shortage of buses meant passengers had little chance to bargain for fares. Many commuters took to their WhatsApp statuses and other social media to complain about the traffic, high fares, and trouble finding transport.

The situation worsened as some drivers went against traffic. Many commuters were seen walking long distances to escape the traffic jams on the expressway. Amid all this, four people died and another was injured in an accident on the expressway in Ogun State.

The crash happened around 4 am near Straight Gate School, Ipara Remo, along the Ibadan-bound route. A Mitsubishi reportedly crashed into a moving truck while trying to overtake.

Afolabi Odunsi, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday. He said eight people were involved in the crash, with four males confirmed dead, one injured, and three others unharmed.

Odunsi identified the vehicles involved as a blue Mitsubishi Cabstar with registration number FGE 753 XA and an ash-coloured HOWO truck marked T-695 KT. He said, "Preliminary investigation indicates that the crash was caused by a speed violation and wrong overtaking. The Mitsubishi driver, reportedly travelling at high speed, rammed into the moving truck while attempting to overtake."

He added that fatigue was also a factor, as the Mitsubishi driver was reportedly tired during the trip. The FRSC rescue team got the distress report at 4:33 am and arrived at the scene at 4:39 am.

The injured person was taken to Victory Hospital, Ogere, for treatment. The bodies of the deceased were taken to the FOS Mortuary, Ipara. The damaged vehicles were handed over to the Police Motor Traffic Division, Isara Division, for further investigation.

Ogun State Sector Commander, Corps Commander Oludare Ogunjobi, urged drivers to be careful, especially during early morning and long-distance trips. He advised them to avoid speeding and driving while tired and to only overtake when it is safe to do so.