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…As government goes tough on violators of new law
By Olakunle Olafioye, Agatha Emeadi and Chibuike Okafor
• Cross section of the school children boarding a vehicle to Kuriga from Kaduna city as Governor Uba Sani bids them farewell
The Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration in Lagos State has signaled, in the strongest terms, that it has had enough of the residents of the metropolis showing open and disguised disdain for pedestrian bridges by not using the facilities built at huge cost, to eliminate accidents.
The bridges were strategically built across highways in several locations with high human and vehicular traffic to end the growing incidence of motorists knocking down pedestrians dashing across the main roads, some of them in a very careless manner, leaving vehicle drivers striving to avoid hitting them.
A few weeks ago, Governor Sanwo-Olu read the riot act to residents and announced the commencement of strict enforcement of the state’s law against the non-use of pedestrian bridges.
Since then some recalcitrant offenders have had firsthand experience of the state government’s resolve to enforce the law and are now wiser for it.
Yet, hundreds of others still dare the enforcers.
To get a sense of the situation, Sunday Sun reporters fanned out for an on-the-spot assessment of the level of compliance.
At the Ile-Epo area of the ever-busy Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, the presence of operatives of Lagos State Environmental Safety Corps popularly known as KAI (Kick Against Indiscipline) is beginning to instill the discipline and culture of using the pedestrian bridge in the road users at the location.
The pedestrian bridge constructed a couple of years ago had rather served as shelter to beggars, hawkers and destitute than its primary purpose as most pedestrians found it much easier to cross the road, not minding the risk involved in doing so than using the bridge.
But a remarkable change of attitude toward the bridge was noticed by Sunday Sun correspondent who monitored the situation at the location last Tuesday.
A KAI official who spoke on the condition of anonymity attributed the positive response of most pedestrians as noticed in the use of the bridge at the location to the latest enforcement of the law banning crossing the road without using the bridge and the clampdown on defaulters who violate the law.
“Before now the activities of beggars and destitute, who used the bridge and sometimes defecated on it had made it almost impassable for the few pedestrians who knew the importance of the bridge. But that has stopped because those who used it as shelter have been dislodged and the bridge has been rid of excreta and all manner of crime. So, no one can give us any excuse on why he or she cannot use the bridge while crossing the busy road,” the KAI official said.
Like every other legislation, Sunday Sun observed that the law restricting road users from crossing the road without using the bridge is not enjoying total compliance at Ile-Epo.
A handful of road users who appeared averse to using the bridge were spotted crossing the road close to the bridge by the eagle-eyed KAI officials who waited patiently for them to get to the opposite side of the busy road before arresting them.
Some metres away from the Ile Epo Bridge, precisely at Pleasure Bus Stop, is a yet-to-be-completed bridge, which has been abandoned for some years now.
Most road users who avoid using the bridge at Ile Epo Bus Stop, findings show, see this incomplete bridge as an alibi to violate the law banning road crossing.
Some recalcitrant pedestrians were seen moving toward this abandoned bridge before darting across the long stretch of the road, leaving the operatives of the KAI corps policing the area helpless.
One of such pedestrians told our correspondent that his health could not withstand the rigour of using the bridge hence his decision to dash across the road.
“I am aware of the importance of the bridge, but to me as a person, because of my health, I consider it safer to patiently wait for the traffic to ease before crossing the road than climbing the bridge,” he stated.
Of course, while there were a handful of people among those crossing without using the pedestrian bridge, a good number of them, findings show, are doing so out of impatience and flagrant disregard for the law banning crossing the roads at spots where there are bridges in the state.
Conversely, pedestrians crossing at the Kola Bus Stop along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in the Alagbado area of the state are calling on the government to complete the abandoned pedestrian bridge in the area to reduce the risk associated with crossing the road.
The almost impassable state of one of the lanes on the road has pushed motorists plying the axis to resort to driving against the traffic leaving pedestrians at the mercy of reckless drivers.
Sunday Sun learned that the Kola axis of the road accounts for a sizeable number of lives that had been lost from the Abule-Egba-U-turn stretch of the expressway down to Toll-Gate since the construction work on the expressway was brought to a halt almost three years ago.
A pedestrian, Bowale Adenekan, said that the abandoned Kola Bridge deserves the most urgent attention because of the huge vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the area.
“For the very obvious reason that motorists are reluctant to use this portion of the road down to Toll-Gate and Sango has made Kola Bus Stop a major stop for most of the people going toward Ota, Sango, Ijoko and so on before connecting buses to their final destinations.
“That has worsened the traffic around this place, especially during peak periods with the attendant risk and loss of lives of pedestrians crossing the road. I am appealing to the government to give this bridge the priority attention it deserves. The people here will be more than willing to use the bridge whenever they need to cross the road,” he said.
Meanwhile, multiple sources told Sunday Sun that the improved level of compliance observed during working hours was induced by the presence of the KAI officials.
Road users, sources said, often shun the bridge at night due to the presence of hoodlums who often rob people of their valuables on the bridges.
There was joy among pedestrians following reports that touts and miscreants who permanently resided on the pedestrian bridges, especially on the Ikorodu road axis, had been dislodged by the officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps.
Before this beautiful development, there had been public outcry by Lagosians who faced harassment, intimidation and robbery and were gripped by fear while using the bridge.
Even as the law enforcement agents have raided and rounded up some miscreants, it is as if some who escaped from a particular bridge, relocated to another in Lagos State.
At major bus stops located at Onipanu, Palmgroove and Anthony, along the long stretch of Ikorodu road, miscreants practically took over the bus shelters close to the pedestrian bridges built at those points.
Pa Oloyode who resides in the area told Sunday Sun: “I have lived at Onipanu for almost 40 years. My business was located at the bus stop because I sold engine oil in retail measurements before I retired due to ill health. These three bridges are very old. Though they get refurbished by the state government once in a while, it has been the den of miscreants, especially in the wee hours of the night. Anything can happen to a passer-by who is using the bridge very late.
“Even robbers, nightclubbers, prostitutes and area boys reside on these bridges after their day’s work. In the early morning, some would be seen sleeping, while some would wake up and hang around as if they are normal people.”
Other bridges located at Ilasamaja, First Gate (By Festac Entrance) and Cele on the Oshodi-Mile 2 expressway are new bridges compared to the ones on Ikorodu road.
In the past, the government has attempted to dislodge miscreants from the bridges, but the criminals would return at night.
The action of the state government to remove the roofs of the pedestrian bridges has made the locations uninhabitable for the street urchins. No one will sleep under the cold breezy downpour. Therefore, with the unprotected bridges, the activities of the bandits would greatly be reduced.
At the ever-busy Cele bus stop along the Oshodi-Mile 2 Expressway, dashing across the wide road is being done without the faintest regard for Governor Sanwo-Olu’s recent pronouncement of penalties for ignoring the newly refurbished bridge.
Men, women and young adults violate the state warning and throw caution to the wind. They cross on both sides of the road.
Adetunji Adebayo was one of the men accosted by Sunday Sun for crossing the road on his way to Lawanson, a suburb in Surulere. When asked if he was aware of the new Lagos law on what awaits a victim, he angrily retorted: “Is the problem of Nigerians crossing the road? Anyone who crosses the road does so at his or her own risk. That is the reason only adults take the risk or do you see children unguarded crossing the road? Let the government do the needful, provide security, build an accessible road, cushion the ravaging hunger and leave road users alone.”
The pedestrian bridge at the Second Gate of Tincan Island Port, Apapa, has become very dirty and abandoned. Pedestrians completely ignore using it and rather prefer to run or walk across the road to get to the opposite side and then go their way.
Petty traders have turned it into a place to display their wares for sale. There is no presence of operatives of the Lagos State Environment Corps.
Therefore, the state law against pedestrians crossing roads in places where foot bridges are provided is not being enforced at all there.
In the same manner, pedestrians also completely ignore the bridge located the First Gate and do not use it.
When Sunday Sun sought to know from Mr Brown John, who does business at the Tincan Island Port, he said: “I don’t use the bridge because it is faster for me to just walk across the road. Moreover at night, there are miscreants and ruffians on the bridge at night.
“They can rob and injure in the process. You won’t find any policemen around in the area. Again, the KAI people do not even come around to enforce the law against crossing the road where pedestrian bridges are provided by the government.”
He, however, said that in the Mile 2 area, there is full presence of KAI operatives to enforce the law, and so he uses the pedestrian bridges there.
He added that the First Gate bridge at Tincan Island does not have roof to protect users from sun or rain.
