Lagos State Government has expressed dissatisfaction over the current traffic congestion in Apapa and environs despite the introduction of an electronic call up system, saying, there was more to be done for sanity to be restored in the axis.
Commissioner for Transportation, Frederic Oladeinde, made the remark on Tuesday, during the year 2021 ministerial press briefing as part of activities marking the second anniversary of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu in office, held in Alausa, Ikeja.
Oladeinde, however, said the only permanent solution to congestion in Apapa is to have other functional alternative ports in other parts of the state, which the state government is already constructing in Lekki and Badagry.
However, as part of efforts to reduce traffic gridlock in the area caused by activities of the truck drivers, the state government said it has commenced talks with the leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on modalities to absorb oil tanker drivers into e-call up system.
He said the state government has increased the hectares of land at Bola Ahmed Tinubu Truck Park in the Orile from 12 to 21 hectares in order to accommodate and keep off more trucks from the road.
On the closure of burnt Airport Flyover around Toyota, along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, which was shut to traffic about two months ago, the commissioner said funding has been a major factor delaying commencement of repair works by engineers of the Federal Ministry of Works.
Also, he said as part of efforts to reduce travel time, promote multi-modal transport and facilitate an intelligent transport system, the state has secured fund to complete the blue rail line from Mile 2 to Marina.