Third Mainland Bridge: Bus drivers hike fares

As the repairs on the Third Mainland Bridge began on Monday, passengers had a hectic time going to the Island as major Lagos roads  were completely blocked for hours.

Few commercial drivers that plied the roads cashed in on the situation to increase their fares.

In some cases, fares were hiked by between 25 and 50 per cent depending on the routes.

The ferry service also profited from the situation as a lot of people got to the Island through the waterways.

Parts of Third Mainland Bridge were cordoned off, causing traffic congestion on the bridge and the alternative routes connecting the mainland to Lagos Island.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Carter Bridge, Ikorodu Road, Eko Bridge and Funsho Williams Avenue had bumper to bumper traffic until about 12pm.

 Commercial bus drivers hike fares

[/media-credit] Traffic on the bridge

Our correspondent, who visited Obalende, observed that fares went up between 25 and 50 per cent as commercial bus drivers tried to minimise their losses.

It was learnt that the Obalende – Ketu route which normally cost about N150, rose to between N200 and N250 while Obalende to Agege rose to N300 from the former N200.

Chinedu Christopher, who drives a 22-seater bus along the Obalende-Ikeja route, told PUNCH Metro that apart from the inconveniences of the congestion, higher fuel consumption was what led commercial bus drivers to increase their fares.

He said, “I spent over three hours from Estate Bus-Stop, Oworonshoki Expressway to Obalende. I burnt so much fuel because of the alternative routes I had to pass. Also, there were some accidents on the way as some vehicles broke down due to overheating thereby worsening the situation.

“My legs are aching and I don’t think I can work the usual length of time I do on a normal day because of the stress. I used to convey passengers at N200 but now I charge N300.”

Hoodlums extort commercial drivers

Our correspondents, who spoke with some members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, learnt that some hoodlums capitalised on the diversion to extort money from commercial bus drivers.

One of the NURTW members, Fatai Owoso, said the extortion was one of the reasons for the hike in fare.

 He said, “Vehicles from the Lagos end to the bridge were being diverted from the Third Mainland Bridge at Adeniji Adele interchange towards Carter Bridge to link Iddo interchange. At Iddo, some touts harassed bus drivers and extorted N100 each from them because they claimed it was their territory. The hoodlums removed the wipers and side mirrors of buses that refused to pay.

“Also, the bus drivers going to Ketu from Obalende that took Eko Bridge through Ojuelegba had to part with N100 as well because their buses were easily spotted by the hoodlums as not being part of them.

“If the situation does not improve soon, fares may still increase further because no one wants to operate at a loss because cost of transport affects the prices of goods.”

Motorcylists who cashed in on the traffic situation

A passenger, Ademola Salau, also blamed security agents for contributing to the price hike.

 “In the morning, when I got into the bus, there was a policeman and a traffic warden. They refused to pay their fares because they were in uniform and the bus conductor decided that passengers would bear the brunt. Initially we protested but buses were scarce so we just had to comply,” he said.

Although the traffic congestion eased after a part of the bridge was opened, the fares did not change.

It was learnt that the Lagos Island end of the bridge (from Obalende, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Lekki, etc.) towards the mainland, which ought to have been opened at 12pm, was opened around 2pm, thereby prolonging the traffic.

Some motorists, who were trapped in the traffic, said they were considering relocating to areas closer to their workplaces until the repairs were concluded.

When one of our correspondents visited Ogudu Bus Stop about 10:30am, commuters trying to access Lagos Island through the bridge were unable to do so as commercial buses refused to ply the route for fear of gridlock.

A commuter, Tony Eronini, said he was surprised that bus operators shunned the route despite the fact that there was still about 90 minutes before the bridge would be closed to traffic.

He said, “I have been waiting for a bus at this bus stop for over 30 minutes and it’s just 11am.

“May be I should have driven in my car. I don’t even know how to go about it because I have an appointment to keep on the Island.”

Culled: PUNCH