Motorists blame indiscriminate truck parking for Lagos-Ibadan road crashes
Motorists plying the Mowe–Berger axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have blamed indiscriminate parking of trucks in front of the NIPCO Gas Station, opposite the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, as one of the reasons for fatal accidents on the highway.
They identified this factor following a fatal crash on Saturday morning in front of the gas station, which claimed seven lives.
The accident occurred when a commercial bus rammed into a stationary truck due to speeding.
Seven passengers were confirmed dead, while three others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
When PUNCH Metro visited the scene on Sunday, it was observed that several Compressed Natural Gas trucks were parked along the expressway, awaiting refuelling at the NIPCO station.
Our correspondent also observed that the parked vehicles occupied one lane of the dual carriageway heading toward Mowe from Magboro.
Motorists who spoke to our correspondent blamed the narrow nature of the road and indiscriminate truck parking for the accident, describing the attitude of some truck drivers as reckless and inconsiderate.
One of the motorists, Abiodun Olakunle, noted that many truck drivers often block multiple lanes, particularly at night, without regard for other road users.
Abiodun said that there was a need to provide alternative parking routes that the truck driver could use.
He said, “The government needs to do something about these trucks that are parking on the road to buy gas at NIPCO. They always occupy the road and leave a narrow path for other motorists.
“Sometimes at night, you will see them occupying two lanes and parking side by side therefore putting other motorists at risk. The accident that happened yesterday cannot be far from the trucks’ illegal parking.”
Another motorist who identified simply as Fatai, expressed disappointment in the inability of the government to have curbed the indiscriminate parking on the road.
“Will the government say they were not aware of the trucks that are parking on the road? It is because the trucks belong to a prominent figure that they pretend not to be aware of.
“They should find a solution to it before more lives are lost to accidents,” Fatai said.
When contacted, the Public Education Officer for the Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Florence Okpe, confirmed the incident and disclosed that an investigation had been launched.
She said, “As soon as the accident happened yesterday, we began an investigation into its cause, and it is still ongoing. Once concluded, we will adopt the best approach to address the issue of CNG trucks parking on the expressway.
“Saturday was a tragic day. We even lost one of our officers during a rescue operation.”
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Media and Publicity, Kayode Akinmade, extended condolences to the families of the deceased.
He noted that the state government was collaborating with relevant agencies to resolve the issue of truck parking on the highway.
“We are working with the appropriate agencies to address this, especially because it’s a federal road. Once the report reaches the governor, necessary steps will be taken.
“It’s unfortunate that lives were lost. The Ogun State Government sympathises with the affected families. We urge all drivers and road users to exercise caution and obey traffic regulations.” Akinmade concluded.
PUNCH Online reported on Saturday that no fewer than 25 persons lost their lives in an accident that occurred along the Ikorodu-Sagamu Expressway.
The accident, according to Okpe, claimed the life of an FRSC official who was carrying out a rescue operation.
