Commuters lament worsening condition of Benin- Sapele road
MOTORISTS and commuters, at the weekend, lamented the deplorable condition of the Benin- Sapele- Warri highway, which they said has been causing vehicular and human traffic, as well as severe damage to vehicles. Commenting on the state of the road, a transporter, Emeka Eze, lamented that the Federal Government had allowed the road to become a death trap and nightmare, insisting that the failed portions of the road have aggravated severely.
He also blamed the state of the road on the Delta and Edo state governments, saying they turned a blind eye to the highway until the rains set in, thereby making the road impassable.
“This part of the road is a death trap for motorists, as we have no idea which side of the road is good because it is all covered with water. We try to use one side of the road, but when all vehicles struggle to make use of one lane, there is usually heavy traffic for hours and sometimes we spend a lot of time here trying to navigate.
“It is either we stay the whole day, particularly those driving heavy- duty vehicles or our vehicles breakdown at the very bad spot by RCC.
“Government should help fix the road. The Benin- Sapele road is the only highway to the Niger Delta region and what is happening on the road is a shame to the SouthSouth.
“Tankers fall down while trying to pass the bad portion, while smaller vehicles usually breakdown. Everything is bad about the road from the Benin section through to the by- pass and to RCC junction. We can’t believe this is the road to the oil- rich Niger Delta,” he said.
A resident along the failed portion said the bad spot and potholes on the road were responsible for the regular crashes on the Benin- Sapele road.
She said several lives had been lost on the highway due to the poor and dilapidated condition of road, as motorists no longer understand the safer side or part to ply.
“We have seen officials of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency ( FERMA) come to dig holes in between the two lanes of the road, but their work created another death trap, because when it rains, drivers don’t know where the holes are and sometimes it is unsafe to drive through the failed portion for fear of falling in the ditch,” she lamented.