By Abisola THOMPSON
The Ogun Command of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Friday said that 1,008,274 million vehicles travelled on Lagos – Ibadan Expressway during the 2018 Yuletide.
The Ogun Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr Clement Oladele, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota, Ogun.
He said that a special team of FRSC personnel were deployed for the counting of vehicular movement on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway during the last Yuletide.
Oladele said that the figure, which was the biggest in recent years, covered the period of the FRSC Special Patrol from Dec. 1, 2018 to Jan. 15, 2019.
He said that the Ogun FRSC had received directive from the Corps Marshals, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, that the special patrol should commerce early on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
He attributed the high traffic to the removal of construction blockades which eased the pains motorists faced due to the ongoing reconstruction of the road.
“About 726,018 commercial vehicles, which accounted for 72 per cent, were the dominant vehicles that travelled on the expressway.
“Also, a total of 281,612 private vehicles, represented 27.9 per cent, while 644 vehicles belonging to government also plied the expressway during yuletide,” he said.
The sector commander further said that a total of 8,712,216 passengers were transported by commercial vehicles on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway during the six-week period.
Oladele, however, attributed the high number of vehicles that travelled on Lagos-Ibadan expressway to the removal of diversion earlier placed across the sections of Mowe/Ibafo and Ogunmakin /Ogere respectively by Julius Berger Nigeria and Reynolds Constructions Company.
” This no doubt encouraged some motorists that earlier expressed apprehension on easy passage during the Yuletide.
“Also, the availability of petroleum products as well as relatively stable transport fares encouraged more people to travel during the Yuletide,” he said.
Oladele, however, said that the massive public enlightenment campaign embarked by FRSC officials contributed to the development.
