The intermittent trajectory of reoccurring road accidents on Otedola Bridge along Ibadan Expressway has fast become an uncanny mystery. Merely perusing the horrendous loss of lives and properties that has resulted from these incidents, there is need for a microscopic scrutiny into the true cause of these tragic events and a resolute plan to put an end to it, Victory Bernard writes.
Anyone that drives towards Otedola Bridge either out of or into Lagos, must do so with an elevated alertness given the unforeseen potential of danger that could occur within the axis. The reason is not far from the fact that the point has been the end of some: not once, not twice, but at an alarming number of occasions. Properties as well, are not left out.
One of the most tragic of incidents that happened along the bridge occurred on June 29, 2018, where a total of 54 cars and commercial vehicles were allegedly gutted by fire, and nine people reportedly died after a petrol-laden tanker crashed and exploded at the Otedola Bridge, Lagos end of the Ibadan Expressway.
On September 20, 2019, a diesel tanker fell off while driving along the Otedola bridge. On October 10, 2019 a tanker carrying 33,000 litres of fuel driving towards Berger had an accident resulting in fuel spillage on the road. Four victims were said to have sustained injuries due to the accident according to Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.
On, October 12, 2019, a tanker with full capacity of 45000 litres of petrol fell at the bridge. The fuel was immediately transloaded by Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) to avoid explosion while causing major traffic.
On May 5, 2020, loaded tankers laden with kerosene and diesel had a head-on collision in-ward Berger, no casualty was reported. 21st of same month, another tanker collided with a bus, killing one and injuring a few others.
On, October 17, 2020, a container truck loaded with fabric collided with the a petrol tanker, both vehicles were completely razed in the fire caused as a result of the collision. On December 20, 2020, 11 people sustained injuries when a tanker, loaded with diesel, exploded on the Otedola bridge on Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Lagos.
On March 27, 2021, a tanker filled with petrol collided with a truck carrying a container. Seven vehicles were burned. Most recently, May 28, 2021, a fuel-laden tanker was gutted by fire at while descending from Otedola Bridge which allegedly resulted from electrical fault developed while on motion. It led to disruption of vehicular movement for hours.
These repeated incidences call for immediate action to be taken by the government to bring to minimal these consistent tragic events in the area. According to some safety professionals, the solution was not far fetched if the causes were effectively dealt with and proper implementation properly carried out.
A Road Safety Expert and Executive Director, Safety Beyond Borders, Adenusi Patrick, attributed the reoccurring incidents to include traffic, uneasy movement and overload while also recommending the need for reconstruction in the area.
“Looking at the capacity of the vehicles that are used, most of the trucks are overloaded therefore when climbing a hill, there will be problem. Most trucks are overloaded. Descending the slope is not an issue for them but ascending is a challenge. It happens more often when there is traffic on the road. The load that the tractor is pulling is heavier than the truck,” he explained.
On construction solution, he said, “the government should reconstruct by reducing the depth of the bridge. The depth of the valley on the road can be reduced. I have shared this with Julius Berger and the Lagos State Government.” he said.
He further said, “The road user attitude is also a problem. It is a tow lane road but when we have five lanes on a two lane road, movement will be impaired. The government has failed in their responsibility in this area of the lawlessness of maintaining the lane.”
He recommended the implementation of weigh-bridges that would measure the litres of fuel material been transported by trucks in order to prevent overload while also reprimanding that, “customs should ensure that no right hand truck or car should be brought into the country. Government should prosecute those that import right hand vehicles into Nigeria.”
Health, Safety and Environment Expert, Segun Bakare, blamed the reoccurrence of accidents to poor implementation and lack of effective actions by regulatory agencies and the government.
He said, “I can remember in 2018, there was a tanker explosion on this same Bridge (Otedola) and a lot of people died, Lagos State Government held an event as at that time and a lot of documentation and action points were done up to the logistic movement and journey management. One of the action points concluded on was that trucks should move at night around 12 to 1 am.”
“But in Nigeria, we don’t implement. We have a lot of seminars, awareness and sensitization and to a reasonable extent, people are getting aware of safety. I can say that in the area of campaign and sensitization, we have been able to achieve up to 50% but in the area of implementation, it is below 50%. The system is ineffective.”
“We should go back to the previous actions that were taken in alliance with different regulatory bodies including NUPENG, Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), Lagos Safety Council, among others, where some action points were taken. We should review the effectiveness of the action and find out how many of them have been implemented,” he said.
On the May 28th tank explosion which happened in the morning around 10, he said, “Why is a loaded tanker moving early in the morning? It means that the previous actions were not implemented. The major issue is to go back to the previous actions that were developed. If we are not seeing the effectiveness, we should change the strategy. But if it has not been implemented, it is a total failure,” he said.
Recall that at one time, the Ojo end of Ibadan-Expressway was clad with the same issues of re-occurring road accidents, but after the construction work on the road and the erection of a massive roundabout at the site of the frequent fatal accidents by the government, the accidents gradually obliterated. It is hopeful that if same responsive action would be taken towards the situation at Otedola Bridge especially along the steep spots alongside other cooperative safety efforts, a completely safer and accident-immune route might just be in sight.