Thelma Osatohanmwen
Pedestrians in Lagos have expressed distress over the condition of the 7-Up bus stop bridge, calling on the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to take prompt actions in making the route more safer.
NEWSTODAYNG gathered that the pedestrian bridge at 7-Up Bus Stop, located on the Lagos end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, has become a cause for concern as a substantial number of its railings disappeared and the current state of the bridge poses a clear threat to the safety of pedestrians who frequently use it.
Speaking with newsmen on the deterioration of the bridge, a pedestrian, Ayomide Daniels emphasized on the need for the government’s intervention, stating, “They should please help us so that this will not cause disaster. Someone can mistakenly slip onto the road from the bridge. The government should come here and see this and help us repair the bridge.”
Another pedestrian, Omolola Pelumi, described the present state of the bridge as life-threatening and stressed the urgency of the situation
“This bridge is very dangerous as it is. It is very bad and life-threatening. The government should do the needful. 7-Up Bridge needs urgent attention.”
A tricyclist, Akeem Onabisi, also expressed concern over the condition of the bridge and called for assistance to address the issue.
Further investigation revealed that, it was evident that many pedestrians traversed it with trepidation. The situation, however, appeared somewhat concealed when approaching the bridge from the Ojodu Berger area, due to an advertisement banner obscuring the deteriorating condition. The true extent of disrepair becomes apparent when approaching from Oworonshoki towards Berger.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Gboyega Akosile, voiced his dismay in an interview with newsmen, over the disappearance of the bridge’s railings, attributing it to an act of vandalism. He assured that the Ministry of Works would assess the damage and take steps to restore the railings and overall safety of the bridge.
In his words, “How can rails disappear? Probably some people have gone to tamper with the railings. I will inform the works department to go and check.”