Fuel Scarcity: Lagos Cautions Petrol Stations Against Traffic Obstruction

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Thursday, December 21st, 2017

By Ayo Balogun

LAGOS, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Lagos State Government has appealed to fuel stations to ensure that vehicles queuing for petrol do not obstruct the free flow of traffic on major roads across the metropolis.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Transportation the State viewed with great concern and regret, the disruption of traffic flow by patrons of fuel stations as the resulting gridlock adversely affects the economic activities of other road users.

While advising the fuel stations to ensure that the queues of motorists waiting to refill vehicles do not obstruct movement of other road users, the Ministry also admonished independent marketers not to create artificial scarcity so as to avoid being sanctioned.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has constituted a committee to monitor the traffic situation occasioned by the fuel scarcity in the face of the prevailing festive season so as to prevent the loss of man-hours and travel time in traffic gridlock.

The Committee comprises representatives the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), The Police, Lagos State Task Force, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Ministry of Transportation.

Fuel scarcity resurfaced in some parts of the country including Lagos, FCT Abuja and others three weeks ago.

The Federal Government last week Wednesday after the weekly Federal Executive Council FEC meeting directed the Minister of State for Petroleum Dr. Ibe Kachikwu to work on bringing to an end the present scarcity. Ironically, the crisis escalated when the timeline given to the Minister elapsed.