Despite the hardship currently being faced by road users and passengers on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway due to the ongoing construction at Opic and Kara-Isheri which caused gridlock along the route, some highway hawkers are laughing all the way to the bank.

The hawkers who expressed excitement at the traffic on the road stated that they usually made more sales during the traffic.

One of them who is a popcorn seller, Jerry Coker, said he resorted to hawking on the highway because he was unable to raise money to further his education.

Coker told Saturday PUNCH that he had been making more sales from his goods since the section of the road unusually experienced heavy traffic.

He said, “Sales have increased due to gridlock. I don’t like the work but I do it to raise money for my admission into the university or polytechnic. When there is nobody to help me, I have to help myself.

A leather seller, Isabella Israel, said she had been making good sales during the gridlock. She stated that her plan was to get enough money to secure a shop to continue her business.

She said, “Sincerely, traffic is not a good situation for other people especially salary earners but people like us love the whole situation. We are always happy when we see traffic on major roads. In a way we meet the needs of passengers and motorists because some may be hungry and others thirsty without any option. So, we try to give them what they desire at that moment. In fact, most household needs we sell in traffic are cheap and genuine.

“If I should tell you the amount I have made today (Thursday) selling in traffic, you will be surprised. Let me thank God. I want to rent a shop rather than hawking but you know it’s not easy in Nigeria. One thing is getting the rent fee another is the charges by agents. The whole thing is frustrating. I hope to realise enough money from hawking in traffic and in a few months’ time own a shop.’’

Another hawker who is a beverage seller, Desola Olurin, noted that the road congestion encouraged more hawkers to besiege neighbourhoods such as Arepo, Magboro, Warewa and OPIC in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the Ogun State to continue their business activities on the expressway.

She said, “I love selling in traffic because I always make more sales and the nature of our business is such that the more sales one makes, the more profits one records. I told my three kids to join me to hawk in traffic so that we can make more money. I know that it’s not a good idea but how do we feed ourselves? They used to hawk somewhere else before traffic started building up in that section of the road.”

However, for a bricklayer, Abayomi Adejumo, the traffic deprived him of the opportunity of getting to work early to complete the job contract he got in record time.

Adejumo said, “The road is now busy just after the Long Bridge. To move from Mowe, Ogun State, to work at Magodo, Lagos, is always a difficult task for me especially when I am caught in the traffic. About two or three weeks ago, I lost a job offer because of the traffic. The situation is serious and it does not appear as if the government cares at all.”

In his comment, an airport worker, who identified himself simply as David for security reasons, urged other road users to endure the construction, noting that it was for the benefits of the masses.

David said, “We can’t blame the government for the construction. If they do not do it now, when should they? Yes, people are suffering because of the work ongoing there. Change will always come with some sacrifices to make. We should endure this moment. It is not as if it is convenient for me too but it is what it is. Imagine going to and from Ikeja airport every day in traffic.

“It has not been easy and we understand the situation. Should we talk about the sudden increase in transport fares or the time wasted on the road due to traffic? Last Wednesday, while I was coming from the office in the evening, I boarded a bus from Berger to Mowe for N1, 200. The contractor too should work fast on the road too. The pace of work on that section of the road is too slow.’’

On his part, a commercial motorist, Taofeek Ibrahim, noted that he and some other drivers stopped carrying passengers from Mowe to Berger because of the time wasted in traffic, adding that their trips usually terminated at Arepo.

Ibrahim stated, “The traffic is affecting us too. Some drivers have stopped going to Mowe from Berger. Do you know why? It is because before we get to Berger at times we spend four hours especially when the traffic is heavy. I prefer stopping at Arepo either I load from Berger or Mowe. That is even more profitable right now than going to Berger.”

Another driver, who identified himself only as Abass, stressed that the increase in the transport fare was to justify the amount they ought to have made if not affected by the traffic.

Abass said, “If you look at it critically, we increase transport fares but that still affects us. We know how many trips we would have gone and the amount we would have made if there was no traffic. So the amounts we add on the fares are just to fill the gap.”

A resident in Arepo, Bola Mathew, said they found succor in commercial motorcycles, noting that it was dangerous as some government vehicles, private and commercial drivers, including motorcyclists, drive against traffic.

She said, “The traffic is a difficult one. We are not finding things easy at all.’’

Contacted, the spokesperson for Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, noted that operatives from the command detailed to maintain orderliness on the expressway had partnered with other security outfits in the state.

He added that the operatives were ready to clampdown on highway hawkers following a directive from the state Commissioner of Police.

Oyeyemi said, “Traffic movement shouldn’t have been that difficult if motorists are doing what is required of them and are patient. But drivers’ impatience always makes them want to drive against traffic. Ordinarily, those coming from Lagos are not supposed to have any problem while coming. But those moving inwards Lagos once they see a little traffic jam, they will divert and want to drive against traffic popularly known as ‘one way’ and by doing so they will block other people coming from Lagos. And that is why we are having that kind of gridlock along that route.’’

He added that the state CP had ordered policemen from Warewa, Ibafo and other adjoining divisions around the axis to ensure that nobody drove against traffic along the axis, noting that many erring drivers had been arrested and prosecuted.

He said, “We have arrested many motorists who have been charged to court and that is why the place is a little bit manageable now. The exercise is a continuous one until the road construction ends. Anybody who drives against traffic will have him or herself to blame. It is suicidal. It is an act of total indiscipline for someone to leave his own lane and move to another person’s lane. Others on the road also have where they are going. That is what we have been doing and we placed our men on that spot 24 hours not only for traffic management but to secure the commuters along that axis.

“There have been some robberies along that axis and that is why the directive is given that nobody should hawk in traffic because most of the people carrying out the robberies were pretending to be hawkers and have another ulterior motive. If they want to hawk, they should go to the main towns and stop hiding under the pretence of hawking to rob road users and making life difficult for others. We will not allow that. The synergy between security outfits is a superb one. We are not walking alone. We are working with other security agencies. The state sector commander of the FRSC was also there to ensure that their men were there alongside policemen.”

Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Ogun State Federal Road Safety Corps, Florence Okpe, could not be reached as of the time this report was filed. She also did not respond to text messages sent to her mobile.