Pedestrians on Tuesday called for ease in using the Ojota overhead foot-bridge in Lagos state.
The pedestrians complained as they got stranded while trying to cross the overhead foot-bridge by surging and uncontrollable users.
At the bus stop at about 7 a.m., reports have it that many people from both sides of the road were trying to cross the bridge at the same time.
It was observed that majority of the crowd are those crossing from Ogudu axis to take public bus to stadium or Lagos Island areas.
Police men and bouncers were also seen on both sides of the expressway, including the centre, preventing people from crossing the available way.
When the crowd became uncontrollable, large number of them moved to the expressway, while the bouncers stopped upcoming vehicles for them to cross to Ikeja side of the road.
Some of the pedestrians who spoke to NAN expressed sadness over the time spent trying to cross the bridge without an alternative route.
Mr Idika Mbonu, a trader at Yaba market, said that he came to the bus stop from Ogudu end of Ojota at about 6.45 a.m. stranded.
Mbonu stressed that as at 7.32 a.m. he was yet to cross the bridge that was less than five minutes walk. “This crowd of pedestrians is unprecedented in the history of crossing Ojota Bridge. When I came here, I thought something else had happened with the mammoth crowd. “I was trying to find my way to the bridge, yet the crowd going and coming through the bridge was scaring. At a time, the entrance was blocked as no one could go through.
“I saw police and bouncers on the road preventing people from crossing the expressway; I have to be patient before I could cross,” Mbonu said.
For Ms Esther James, a student at Yaba School of Science and Technology, the crowd was unacceptable at the bridge, stressing the need for a wider bridge that could accommodate large number of people at the same time.
“We have called on the Lagos State Government to build a new bridge that can accommodate the physically challenged, pregnant women, load carriers and the elderly.
“The government is trying to enforce the use of the bridge, which is okay, but look at the crowd today. This bridge was not meant for this crowd,” said Mrs Evelyn Dagodoro, a civil servant. It would be recalled that some pedestrians had demanded for a new bridge at Ojota, sequel to the barricade constructed to prevent them crossing the Expressway.
Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the Lagos State police command, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the police men at Ojota were on official duty. Badmos said that police responsibilities included the safety of lives and property, stressing that apart providing security, they can also stop people from crossing the expressway.
