Lagos community decries rise in road accidents from illegal U-turns

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Motorists and residents along the Iyana-Iba to Egbeda area of Lagos State have raised concerns over the illegal U-turns made by some motorcycle and tricycle riders, who frequently bypass the designated turning points, opting instead to use the road median and pavements.

According to residents, the practice has led to multiple accidents and, in some cases, fatalities.

Our correspondent, who visited several areas along the route, observed that parts of the road median had been destroyed by the illegal turns.

Concerned motorists called on the Lagos State Government to take immediate steps to curb the illegal activities and repair the damage to the road infrastructure.

Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, Sulaimon Okewole, a resident of the Egbeda Road area, described the practice as a traffic violation punishable by law.

Okewole expressed worries about how motorcycle and tricycle riders, as well as some motorists, frequently damaged the road by driving on the pavement, which often resulted in accidents.

He urged authorities to punish offenders to deter others.

A motorist, Lateef Ganiu, who had his car damaged in a recent incident, also demanded that those violating traffic rules be arrested and prosecuted.

He said, “I was driving on my lane when a bike suddenly crossed to use the pavement, and unfortunately, we collided, causing an accident.”

Another motorist, Tobi Qudus, echoed similar concerns, pointing out that the illegal U-turns were responsible for several accidents in the area.

“Unsuspecting vehicles crash into those making these illegal U-turns. Passengers often sustain serious injuries. The government needs to take action against this,” he said.

The Director of the Public Affairs Department of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, could not be reached for comments as of the time of filing this report.

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