Follow Us on Google
By Fidelis Ugbomeh
As vehicular and train traffic in Lagos continues to increase, attention of Federal government through Management of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and Lagos state government has been drawn to deaths recorded within Lagos metropolis due to lack of pedestrian and overhead bridges at designated railway level crossings within the standard and narrow gauge railway corridors.
The call on the relevant government agency underscores earlier agreement entered between Federal Ministry of Transportation and Lagos state government for the duo to construct 13 Overpasses and pedestrian bridges within the metropolis.
This is in line with global best practice of standard gauge and electrical railway line construction which underscores construction of Underpasses and Overpasses as well as pedestrian bridges for motorists, trains and pedestrians to have their seperate ways without any obstruction wherever there is rail, road intersection.
Investigation carried out by our DAILY SUN however shows that in Lagos state, for instance there are over 15 designated railway level crossings between Iddo and Ijoko and 3 others between Apapa and Ebute-Metta Junction that are mostly manned by flagmen with few exceptions.
This is apart from two temporary railway level crossings hitherto constructed at Agege, and one each at Powerline and Adewole respectively where flagmen were stationed to regulate traffic pending construction of Overpasses and pedestrian bridges.
According to a reliable source after Federal Ministry of Transportation through Nigerian Railway Corporation granted “track access” to Lagos state through LAMATA to use its Oyingbo-Agbado standard gauge railway corridor to operate passenger train service the two agencies agreed to construct 13 Overpasses and Underpasses as well as pedestrian bridge
He disclosed that based on the pact, Lagos state government agreed to construct Seven flyovers apart from padestrian bridges at some rail/intersections popularly referred to as railway level crossing while Federal ministry of transportation agreed to construct Six
It was however gathered that Lagos State government has since completed construction of pedestrian bridges and flyovers at Oyingbo, Yaba, Mushin, Ikeja, Adewole (Plane crash site), Power line and Agbado, while Federal ministry of transportation has only constructed two double lane Overpasses at Costain and an Underpass at Ashaye in Agege area of Lagos.
The ministry according to sources is expected to construct four flyovers and padestrian bridges at designated railway crossings near Oshodi, Sogunle, Fagba and Ijoko.
It was also noted that buildings were already demolished and compensation paid to owners of structures in the aforementioned locations but that the ministry suspended construction of the Overpasses due to paucity of fund.
A resident of Agbado-Crossing, Mr. Abiodun Sowole, said that although motorists have been barred from plying the temporary railway level crossings at Agege, Adewole in Lagos state and powerline in Ogun state the tracks have not been completely barricaded thus creating room for pedestrians to encroach and sometimes vandalize the railway tracks
He stated that just recently the live of a young boy receiving phone call beside the rail track at former powerline temporary railway level crossing was cut short by locomotive engine driver of Lagos state owned Agbado-Oyingbo bound passenger train.
Sowole disclosed further that “On Tuesday last week a petty trader of fairly used clothes was killed by a rail car at about 8.00p.m while excreting beside railway line near Power line bus stop”.
He called for strict enforcement of the use of pedestrian bridges at the earlier mentioned locations through public enlightenment and enforcement by security operatives.
In his own remarks Mr. Tunde Ojudun, a Journalist said that after granting “track access” for LAMATA to commence train operation, it behoves on Federal government to construct pedestrian bridges at the designated spots since the state government has completed its own portion and is paying royalty to NRC.
He also called on management of NRC and Ogun state government to emulate Lagos state through construction of pedestrian bridges at Rafco, Okponsuru, Itoki and Ijoko railway level crossings so as to avert cases of untimely deaths at such locations.
