By Mathew Johnson
The abandoned pedestrian bridge built across the major road along Oshodi/Apapa Expressway at Aswani has continued to pose great danger to pedestrians who make use of the road regularly. The imposing structure strategically built to stop pedestrians from endangering their lives by crossing the major and ever-busy expressway served users for some years before packing up after a section collapsed.
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It was serving not just the numerous big companies and residents of the area, but the popular Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Market where no fewer than 10,000 pedestrians criss-cross to different sides of the expressway daily.
However, not long after it was performing its duty, notorious area boys forcefully stationed themselves on top of the bridge and started collecting tolls from pedestrians. Worse still, they turned the long stretched from Guardian Newspapers towards the bridge into a black spot by attacking passersby with dangerous weapons and snatching their personal belongings.
It’s deadly crossing the express – Okechukwu
One of the regular users of the road situated around Oshodi/Isolo Loal government Area w,ho identified himself simply as Okechukwu, told Vanguard that he was attacked several times along the road towards the pedestrian bridge by area boys wielding dangerous weapons. According to the 28-year-old apprentice at Ladipo Market, it normally happens between 7p.m., and 9p.m., when most of us would be going home for the day.
“They waylay us along that road daily and that was why we stopped taking the bridge.
“However, many of us have been escaping death by whiskers as a result of the danger posed by crossing the expressway. Many people have been hit by fast moving vehicles and they normally escape from the scene after hitting people. Some people have died as a result of that. We are helpless because it is just like being between the devil and the deep blue sea.
“If you move to take the pedestrian bridge, hoodlums will pounce on you. If you cross the expressway, the constant danger of being hit by fast moving vehicle is constantly there. What we were doing before the bridge collapsed was to move in groups and that scared the area boys. But after the bridge collapsed, all of us continued crossing the dangerous expressway.”
A young man identified as Obichuku Amos, 35, described how he almost got killed because of the abandoned pedestrian bridge. The man who claimed to have come to Lagos from Anambra to survive said: “I came to Lagos two days ago, landed at Oshodi first. While trying to cross road, I almost got caught by the KIA officer, but luckily for me someone told me to use the pedestrian bridge not knowing that it has been abandoned for long.
“I was trekking leisurely on top of the bridge only to be confronted by a nearly collapsed portion on its top. There were no signs to warn unsuspecting pedestrians and I was told it was abandoned for long. I had to run back to cross the expressway and I was almost hit by a Danfo bus.”
‘Crossing with my children…’
Another road user, Mrs. Arinoluwa said that running to the other side of the road with her kids everyday to school is one of the greatest dangers they face daily in Lagos. She lamented that the continued abandonment of the bridge is casing her great distress and constitutes danger to her family.
“I usually close around 3.30p.m., and we use to use the bridge to cross to the other side of the road.
“Suddenly, it collapsed and since then, it has been abandoned. We are now forced to cross the very busy expressway and you can imagine how I manage to cross with three of my children. I appeal to Lagos state government to urgent repair the bridge and ensure that the hoodlums that occupy it are flushed out.”
An official of KIA, who was accosted near the bridge refused to say his name but stated: “Lagos State government is trying on a daily bases in controlling accident by providing a pedestrian bridge for them.
“And Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, in conjunction with KAI, posted us here to prevent the issue of crossing the highway. The pedestrian bridge at Aswani is under government notice and there is caution there because it is under construction at the moment. But I don’t know how fast the construction is going to take place.”
The post Lagos Pedestrians’ Dilemma: Dashing across Oshodi-Apapa Expressway or collapsed Aswani Bridge appeared first on Vanguard News.
