Tollgate is a death trap and really need urgent attention

Many Nigerians have lost their lives in ghastly accidents, which occurred at the Sango Ota tollgate end of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in Ogun State, DEJI LAMBO writes

Ogun statesssss is one of the states in the country that are very prone to road accidents. According to a statistical report released by the Director of Traffic Planning, Research and Statistics, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, Babatunde Ajayi, a total number of 527 road accidents, involving 356 commercial vehicles, 215 trucks, 134 private cars, 93 private buses, 32 motorcycles and five tricycles were recorded in the state. The accidents resulted in the deaths of no fewer than 163 persons.

Stressing that these accidents occurred in Ogun State between January and September 2019, which is a period of nine months. Ajayi said, “49.18 per cent of the road accidents were caused by excessive speed; 21.09 per cent by dangerous driving; 10.38 per cent by bad tyres; 4.16 per cent by driving against traffic and 15.19 per cent by other factors.”

The deplorable state of the roads is partly responsible for the increasing rate of road mishaps in the state, especially when one considers that some of the accidents recorded within and beyond the period reported occurred around the Sango Ota tollgate in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area.

Investigation by our correspondent showed that the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway, particularly the area around the tollgate, is in dire need of rehabilitation.