By Olasunkanmi AkonI
As Lagos residents resumed duty after the long Sallah break, many commuters have been stranded at various bus-stops. This is as a result of few available commercial buses on the road as well as non-availability of commercial motorcycle operators popularly called Okada, due to the restriction order on their activities.
As early as 7 am, major bus-stops are daily filled with commuters waiting endlessly for scarce buses. Most of the commuters complained bitterly, blaming the cause on the restriction of okada on major routes.
The commercial bus operators who seized the opportunity to hike fare to about 100 percent blamed fuel scarcity and the hike in the price of fuel for the development.
Stranded commuters are daily noticed at Egbeda, Iyana- Ipaja, Agege, Ogba and Ikeja bus-stops.
Others include Anthony, Palmgrove, Ojota, Ketu, Oworosonki and Oshodi.
According to a commuter who identified herself as Mrs Ngozi Johnson on Monday: "Today's scarcity of commercial buses is very bad. I have been standing at the Egbeda bus-stop for the past one hour and I'm still going to Ikeja, my place of work. I am already late for work. In the past, I would have taken okada to Ikeja amd from there connect to my office".
Some of the respondents attributed the development to the Sallah holidays with many people rushing back to resume work.
Meantime, rail stations have continued to witnessed influx of passengers as more commuters have turned to railway. One railway staff at Agege Pen Cinema rail crossing, who did not reveal his identity, said since the clamp down on Okada the number of passengers through the railway has risen.
