Many Lagosians now fear for their lives as they go out on their daily businesses. This fear is not far removed from the danger posed by tankers, container bearing trucks and heavy-duty vehicles of all sorts.
Only a week ago, a container fell off a truck while on the Ojuelegba flyover, crushing three people to instant death and injuring many others.
In the same vein, more than thirty vehicles were engulfed by a raging inferno along Lagos-Ibadan expressway. The fire was started when a tanker carrying petroleum products reportedly lost control of its brakes and exploded when it rammed into other cars. At the time of filing this report, there hasn’t been a confirmation of the number of casualties.
The Lagos State Government has been criticized by residents for its seeming inaction over the issue of tankers and trucks that ply the metropolis. In the aftermath of the Ojuelegba incident, the Commissioner of Transport Ladi Lawanson announced that trucks have been banned from using the Ojuelegba bridge.
However, it would appear that banning trucks from using flyovers and bridges is not enough precaution against mishaps such as this. For residents who have lost family members through these accidents, paying lip services to their loss cannot be adequate placation.