Olusegun Johnson chronicles the unsavoury reality on Lagos highways, as pedestrians reject the use of footbridges, thereby leaving room for traders and beggars to take over.
When the idea of pedestrian bridges was first muted, wherever that may be, one can be sure it was to ease pedestrians’ crossing of dangerous highways, eliminate all risks and save lives. Nigeria’s case was no exception, as the governments, both states and federal, have over the years, taken time to invest huge public funds to construct overhead bridges, especially on dangerous highways and multiple-lane expressways. Like every responsible government, both tiers of government have taken it upon themselves to, as much as possible, construct these bridges, to protect their citizens. Sometimes they even go the extra mile, by compelling citizens to use the bridges and, as someone put it, save them from themselves.
However, this seems to have amounted to little, as many citizens still ignore the bridges and embrace the dangerous option of dashing across the dangerously fast roads. The implication of course have been that many Nigerians have been losing their lives, while the facilities have been taken over by beggars and traders, who have found them veritable for their purposes, especially as there seems to be plenty of unchallenged space on them.
Prince Adesoji, a pedestrian spotted trying to cross the Oshodi Expressway at the popular ‘Under the Bridge’ spot, who gave his reasons for not using the pedestrian fly-over, said he usually crosses the highways whenever he is in a hurry or under pressure to meet an appointment.
He confessed that the only time he uses the bridges is “whenever the KAI (Kick Against Indiscipline) brigade officials are around.”
At the Palm-grove end of Ikorodu Road, another pedestrian, Mr. Jones, who had just crossed the eight-lane road, said people normally cross the road due to impatience. “As human beings, you know we tend to prefer short cuts; that to me is the reason many people including me, cross the highway.”
Mrs. Adekoya, a resident of Onipanu, near Palm-grove, however explains that she had to cross the road on this occasion due to tiredness. “Today, I have been trekking all day and I’m coming from a far place; sincerely, if I use the pedestrian bridge, I know my blood pressure is likely to rise; and that is what I’m guarding against. However, I do make use of the bridges when I have the strength.”
Another woman caught on the verge of crossing the expressway at Onipanu told this reporter that hers was due to old age: “As you can see, I am old and my legs are weak; it is difficult for me to use the pedestrian bridge. If I try to climb the bridge, to come down will be difficult and the whole of my legs would be shaking. That is why I don’t use the pedestrian bridge.”
A gentleman, who refused to reveal his identity at the Obanikoro axis of Ikorodu road, however gave what seemed like a valid reason for not using the pedestrian bridge there. “If you look at the Obanikoro pedestrian bridge up there, you will see that it has gone rusty with holes, making it dangerous for human use. If the government can repair or replicate the modern ones for this spot too, then I’m sure people will start using it again, as against risking their lives crossing the expressway.”
Traders and beggars take over
What the pedestrians have however left unused, beggars and traders have seemingly taken over. Most of the pedestrian bridges across metropolitan Lagos and other major cities in the country; have been turned into quick markets and alleyways for beggars of all sorts. Except for the renovated bridges manned by uniformed security men, virtually all the other footbridges have traders and beggars jostling for space. A good example here would be the foot bridges at Charity Bus-stop, even though it has been renovated, Cele Bus-stop along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and Anthony Bus-stop. Most times, pedestrians have to thread gently, else they anger the traders, who are quick to give them a piece of their caustic tongues.
Blessing, a trader who has commandeered a portion of the Obanikoro pedestrian bridge, said she now sells on the bridge because she cannot raise the money to rent a shop.
According to her, “The government agents have been here so many times to force me off the bridge or confiscate my wares, but I always beg them to have mercy on me because I have no space to showcase my goods. And this is my only source of livelihood.”
Somehow, she has been lucky thus far, as she says she has been there for about two months.
In the same vein, a physically-challenged beggar on one of the footbridges at Oshodi told The Nation that he has taken a space on the bridge to seek alms, because he has to raise money somehow to fend for himself. “I am here because I don’t have money to eat and nobody to care for me; but when I stand here, passersby who see me and my condition, pity me and show me mercy.”
Almost similar to the above, though not quite, is Gbadebo, a physically-challenged Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) staff, who says his duty is to keep the Oshodi pedestrian bridge clean. However, he takes advantage of the generosity of the pedestrians to make extra bucks, as most of them take him for a beggar offering voluntary service, and throw him their loose change.
Authorities confess frustration
The Nation sought explanations from one of the Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI officials mandated to maintain sanity in these places. One of them, Mr. Ajibade, at the Oshodi traffic point said “People are so stubborn that they’d rather use the highway, rather than take advantage of the pedestrian bridges. We have arrested many of them overtime; and usually, we take them to the mobile court in Alausa, where they are charged and fined immediately. But that has not changed anything.”
Curiously, Ajibade also revealed that they (KAI) also become subjects of attacks each time they try to carry out their duties. “Whenever we arrest people who ignore the pedestrian bridge, you find that passersby, traders and thugs would be raining insults on us; sometimes attacking us and telling us to release them.”
He therefore calls for a strengthening of the law, so that pedestrian will know the gravity of the offence they’re committing.
Explaining further, Ajibade said “If you go to the U.S where their highways are mostly eight lanes and you insist on dashing across the road to get to the other side, then it means you’re likely to get hit by a vehicle or if you’re lucky, get arrested.”
He recalled one of the most gruesome sights he has ever witnessed, which he said occurred two years ago at Ikeja Along bus-stop (Lagos), where six people died instantly on an environmental day, killed by a Toyota Jeep, while trying to cross the highway. “I had tried to persuade one of the victims, a woman, to use the pedestrian bridge, but she ignored me, and sadly, death claimed her life seconds later.”
Ajibade said the situation is so bad that you will always witness an accident along Palm Grove, Onipanu, Obanikoro and Ikeja Along, mostly between 9 am and 12pm daily.
He wondered why people have chosen to ignore these facilities and take such high risks, despite the fact that the government has spent millions, constructing them for their use and safety.
Another KAI officer, Hammed Mukaila, stationed at Onipanu bus stop said the reason the problem has persisted more recently is lack of enforcement. He said it was more stringent in the time of the immediate past governor of the state, Babatunde Fashola and hoped that such degree of enforcement can come back. “During Fashola’s tenure, you dared not cross the highway, especially at Ojota, where you had the policemen to the left, and the KAI officials to the right, waiting to pounce on you.”
Peter, a monumental guard at the Palm-grove flyover, said “It pains me to see children and women with babies crossing the highway everyday, with no KAI officers in sight to arrest them. Do you know that three people have died crossing this road in the last two weeks, two of them students? Seriously, we need people to stop them from killing themselves.” He said.
“What I find strange now is that Agbero guys now take the place of the KAI officers near the BRT Bus Stop at Fadeyi Bus Stop, arresting those crossing and extorting money from them.”
Concerning beggars who have turned the bridges to begging zones, Peter said “We send them away always. But there is a particular one, who has refused to heed to our instruction for four years. He claims he is son of the chairman of this garage. He is the only one who has been giving me trouble.”
Another KAI officer at Oshodi, who gave his name as Mr Cole said, “We persuade people to use the pedestrian bridge but if they ignore, we arrest them.”
He however said they have stepped down the arrests because of change of administration, saying that “We are waiting for the new administration to give the go-ahead from the headquarters.”