tolling begin on lekki expressway

Qasim Akinreti and Anulika Menanya, Lagos

Tolling has begun on the first public private partnership road –the Lekki- Epe expressway in Lagos Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), Sunday led scores of Nigerians to ply and pay toll on the 49 kilometre road which leads to the Lekki Free trade zone.

He personally drove himself through the expanse of the road without his official convoy after staying in the traffic that built up as a result of the highway, to underscore the importance of the project to the success of the public private partnership initiative in Nigeria

The obviously elated Governor Fashola expressed satisfaction on the take-off of the exercise and urged the people to embrace the positive change that has come to the country through the road.

Efficient service

The Governor expressed happiness that the road was the first technologically driven toll gate in the country and assured its users of efficient service as the road was built with facilities for electronic operations.

He admonished road users to see the road with its modern facilities as a positive change which was necessary to connect them with the future, saying “Technology is change; Lagos is moving on, Nigeria is moving on. We cannot continue to wish this kind of thing only in our experiences outside our country. Change has come upon us, let us embrace it”.

The real change

Fashola appealed to the people to see the future and the bigger picture of the Toll Gate rather than the little discomfort they may suffer at this initial change, adding “Change calls for all of us to give up our vested rights and move on; I see a better future, I see a brighter future”.

On the traffic congestion as a result of the tolling, the Governor said, “Really, it is the change. Every time we have had to adapt to something new, there is always some discomfort. The day GSM started, there were so many drop-calls that you could not connect. But within a few days, there were feedbacks which made it easy for the operators to rectify the situation and make it better”.

“We need feedbacks. What is the problem? Feedbacks will help us and the concessionaire to adapt and respond. We are here to serve, that is our job. Anywhere the shoe pinches you, tell us and leave us to solve it and make it better”, Governor Fashola said.

Resistance

Ahead of the formal opening, residents of the area had embarked on demonstration to oppose tolling of the 49 kilometre road.

The protesters were made up of both the young and old working professionals resident in the area.

Nigerian police dispersed the protesters when hoodlums took over the demonstration.

There were also confirmed reports that the police and thugs seized photo and video cameras belonging to journalists who were also assaulted by both the police and thugs.

Reports say one person was seriously injured by gunfire, while a photographer covering the event was assaulted by policemen with baton, who also seized his camera before throwing him into the back of a police van locally referred to as ‘Black Maria’.

A resident and legal practitioner, Ebun Adegowora, was of the opinion that the tolling was illegal and that there was an injunction against the commencement of the exercise.

Motorists that tried to avoid payment of the fares, had to go through an alternative route with very heavy traffic.

Appeal

The Lekki-Epe expressway is important for its economic and commercial development pontentials.
Lekki Free Trade Zone, international Airport and Seaports are to be located in the area. This is expected to boost economic activities and attract foreign investments.

The Governor, however, appealed to motorists to use the electronic tag instead of paying cash at the Plaza pointing out that the process of paying cash and obtaining change contributes to the delay in the process and the consequent slow movement of traffic.

According to him: “You get a discount for even buying the electronic tag and you get the discount immediately; I am sure we will all be telling a better story in a few weeks time”.

The Governor, who noted that there are some people who are aggrieved by the tolling, declared, “But that is democracy; there must be another side”, adding, “This is also employment. The Concessionaire is a Nigerian company with international investments. They are employing our people”.

On the question of alternative routes, Governor Fashola said the Government has indeed provided an alternative route contrary to the accusation by some people that there is no alternative route.

“Of course, there is an alternative road; we are increasing them. The story out there before was that there was no alternative road, but you have seen for yourselves that there is alternative road. We will make it better and increase it as we go on”, the Governor said.