Amid a persistent fuel shortage, tanker drivers in Lagos worsened the situation by blocking a section of the newly constructed Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, leading to severe traffic congestion.
This unruly behaviour follows a previous incident in April when Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu issued an ultimatum for tanker drivers to vacate the busy expressway, which they had been using as a parking lot.
However, the drivers ignored the directive, and the problem of indiscriminate parking along major roads persisted.
The situation escalated yesterday as tanker drivers extended their disruptive actions to Charity Bus Stop near Oshodi, raising concerns that they might further encroach upon the Town Planning area of the city by Saturday, September 21, 2024.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) spokesperson, Taofik Adebayo, expressed unawareness of the situation but assured that the agency would investigate and take appropriate action.
This ongoing gridlock highlights a long-standing issue caused by the large number of oil tankers operating in the Apapa area.
The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) confirmed that over 1,000 tankers visit the 60 tank farms in Apapa and its surroundings due to the Federal Government’s failure to provide fuel at strategic locations nationwide.
The union attributed the high concentration of tankers in Apapa to the collapse of other petroleum product loading bays across the country, further contributing to the traffic congestion and fuel distribution challenges in Lagos.