Ambode, according to a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Habib Aruna, the approval was as a result of the governor’s visit to some major traffic points in the metropolis, stating that his administration will provide solutions to traffic snarls in the state.
The governor, who spoke with journalists at Dopemu in Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area after the inspection, said he decided to visit the traffic points himself to get a first hand experience of what the situation was.
He said, “We’ve seen that we have been to 3rd Mainland Bridge, Oworonshoki, Ketu, Abule-Egba, Alimosho and then we’ve gone to Mile 12. That’s not the end of the story. We’re still going to Apapa and Mile 2. The truth is that we must start to have solutions to our traffic challenges in the state and that’s what we are doing.
“I have here with me heads of agencies that are really saddled with the traffic situation. I like them to speak to you directly and let you know that we are together as a team. We’re going to start seeing solutions to the traffic challenges that we experience in Lagos.
“It’s not enough for us stay in the office and believe that we can create solutions to the traffic challenge that we have in the state. So, we decided that we are going to go round ourselves and see how we can improve on the traffic situation in Lagos.
“What we have done in the last three hours is to show that we are greatly concerned about the traffic gridlock that we have been experiencing in the last few months.”
Ambode promised that the state would soon begin the construction of a pedestrian bridge in Berger Bus stop, Ojodu.
“We have seen that Berger needs a foot bridge and immediately the engineers are going to go to work and we will make sure that we put something there. We don’t want any traffic on that highway. We are already thinking of additional solutions to allow vehicles to extend outside of the highway. That’s an engineering work and it’s already being considered,” he said.
He added that in addition to the footbridge, the state government would work to make the road free at all times, saying whatever happened in Berger would have a fallback effect on the 3rd Mainland Bridge, which would compound the traffic situation at the Oworonshoki end of the highway.
The governor, while addressing some residents at Go-ye Junction in Dopemu, gave an assurance that the state would create traffic lights and expand the road at the two ends so that people could make a U-turn easily without creating traffic snarl.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Seyi Coker, expressed optimism that with the governor’s inspection, Lagosians would see some improvement on the roads.
“So we are assuring you that very soon from today, we are going to have some improvement on Lagos roads and that is what we have done. You can see that at all the points the governor visited, he came down himself to see and pointed to situations, asked questions,” he added.
