Apparently Lokoja inhabitants has noticed the return of heavy traffic to our major roads here in Lokoja. We know Lokoja to be a traffic free city, despite it routing status. The only time we experience heavy traffic as we have witnessed in recent times is during festivity period. The traffic witnessed during this period is not always a logjam except there is a faulty articulated vehicle on major sections of the road. The popular Ganaja Junction is notorious for this kind of logjams because, it connects the Major parts of the city and routes travellers to the Eastern Nigerian States also. Other than the factors highlighted above, our roads have always been traffic smooth and almost accident free.
However, the introduction of traffic light to the Government House Junction has made life excruciating for commuters. The traffic light may serve as a step away from the analog ways of doing things to digital. But when the analog proves more effective, then the digital doesn’t impress on the people as development.
When the previous administration of Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada introduced the traffic light, it took commuters a lot of time to understand how the lights work, because it was introduced without sensitization. This step caused a lot of accident at that Junction. After a very painful lesson learnt process, the Junction became notorious for traffic jam.
After a while the traffic light went down and our roads became free again. It remained free by the Manning of the Junction by traffic wardens.
The repair and reintroduction of the traffic light to the Junction yesterday by the Government of Alh. Yahaya Adoza Bello was so obvious because, the traffic jam was so glaring up to Fen/GTBank Junction. In fact, the traffic warden at Fen/GTBank Junction had to stop oncoming commuters from Adankolo from joining the jam, thereby paving way for those coming from Ganaja Junction that wants to connect GTBank road to Kogi Circle to be able to connect. The situation is so excruciating that, if you happen to be in a vehicle in the traffic jam close to Fen Hotel, there is tendency you will remain in the traffic jam two circle of the traffic light before you get clear of that road. To make matters worst, the heavy release of traffic from Government House Junction goes straight to compound Ganaja Junction. This also causes heavy traffic also at Ganaja Junction despite the use of traffic warden in that Junction. This make commuting in Lokoja very unsafe and cumbersome.
#RECOMMENDATION
1. If government wants to keep using the traffic light, it should reduce the count down time to STOP on Fen to Ganaja Junction and Ganaja Junction to Fen route from 60seconds to 30seconds and to increase the GO time from 60seconds to 90Seconds. And reduce the GO time on Government House Road to Zenith Bank and Zenith Bank to Government House to 30Seconds and also increase the stop time to 60seconds.
2. Since the traffic light is a three lane controller, government should expand the road to a four lane road which includes parking lane because, this is the major reason why there is always hold up on that Junction. The road is a double lane road with three lane traffic controller.
3. Since the traffic light in saner climes are meant to make life easier for commuters and road users, I also recommend that this particular one should be removed as its being there is making using the road hellish for commuters.
Kogites will appreciate it if the above recommendations are adhered to. Life is much more easier if everything is smooth, including our roads.
Umar Dan’Assabe Muhammed,
Political Scientist, Activist & Social Commentator writes from Lokoja.
