As the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the alleged killing of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki Toll Gate hands over the toll gate back to its operators, Lekki Concession Company, residents of the area have written the LCC to lament the potential return of traffic gridlock associated with toll collection along the axis.
The residents said they pay for “inconveniences rather than for convenience” as they spend about 30 minutes to pay at the toll due to the “poor experience and services” of the LCC.
This was contained in a communiqué issued on Sunday and co-signed by Olorogun Emadoye and Gbemi Adelekan, President and Secretary General of the Lekki Estates Residents & Stakeholders Association respectively.
LERSA, which is an association of “over 80 estates and communities” in the area, therefore, tasked the LCC to improve the tolling system technology to guarantee free flow of traffic before commencement of tolling.
The communique obtained by The PUNCH read in part: “As residents and stakeholders of Lekki and major users of the Lekki Expressway Tollgate, it is imperative for us to issue this communique, on the recent happenings in our community, most especially the security siege and disruption of movements, as a result of the planned protest, at the Lekki Tollgate yesterday, 13th of February,2021.
“We also request that the Lekki Concession Company should create an enabling environment for people and businesses along this axis. Our road experience prior to the October 20 shutdown of the Toll gates have been hardship and suffering, with the long traffic at the Toll Plazas.
“The Government, through LCC, must realise that the Toll Gate operation cannot resume back to the old ways of distress for users of the Toll Plazas. Without a doubt, we are the only citizens in Nigeria that are forced to pay toll on a road that is less than 25KM, completed in 14 years.
“With the poor experience and services at the toll plaza, we are actually paying for inconveniences rather than for convenience as we spend on the average of 20 to 30 minutes on the toll to pay.
“We affirm, therefore, by asking for viable alternative roads to the tolled roads, implementation of round figure fees at the toll and immediate improvement of the tolling system technology to guarantee free flow at the Tollgates before commencement of tolling.
“Our intent with this request to the Government and LCC, is for services to be reviewed and improved, in addition to listening to the peaceful agitations and concerns of our youths and citizens, before embarking on reopening the Toll plazas.”
The Punch
