Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works and Housing, has supported the adoption of strict legislation to guarantee the safety of bridges.
As he reiterated that bridges were established for the convenience of vehicular travel, the transfer of products and services, and for the benefit of humanity, not for commercial objectives, he warned Lagos citizens against exploiting bridges as trading centres.
The Minister made this statement during a press briefing on the rehabilitation and repairs of the burned part of the Eko Bridge and during the inspection tour of the newly burned Eko bridge (Apongbon and Ijora Olopa section).
The former governor of Lagos emphasized that preventing individuals from trading under bridges required a team effort.
Since the government has passed rules requesting that people stop selling under the bridge, buyers ought to stop supporting vendors in such unsanitary areas as well.
He said: “If you don’t pass tough laws, things will not be done. You have our support. Under bridges are not places for cooking or residing place, and it’s not only endangering their lives but also the lives of other people. Illegal ways of living must be put to an end.
“We are appealing to the Lagos State government to ensure that all trading activities under the bridges in the state must, as a matter of urgency, be brought to a stop.
“We seek the cooperation of the Ministry of Transportation, Environment, and Local Government law enforcement agencies to help us preserve our bridges.”
Speaking also, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Olufemi Hamzat, warned the citizens to desist from doing business under the bridge and live the right way for the interest of others.
In his statement, the State government is willing to support in any way that will ensure quick compliance by citizens to stop the illegal use of the under bridges.
“The State Government will be available to monitor the process and provide assistance where necessary to ensure that the contractor has a smooth operation. In the aspect of people trading under the bridge, we will communicate with the appropriate department to ensure that the issue is addressed”, he said.
