Home/History/Why Berger Bus stop is popular, synonymous with traffic gridlock in Lagos
Why Berger Bus stop is popular, synonymous with traffic gridlock in Lagos
There are so many bus stops in Lagos State and the Berger Bus stop is one of them. This bus stop is very popular as it leads to major cities in Lagos and outside Lagos.
So, why is the Berger Bus stop a well-recognised bus stop in the commercial capital of Nigeria? Is there more than one Berger Bus stop in the state and why is visiting the bus stop tantamount to being trapped in a traffic gridlock?
What is Berger bus stop?
The Berger Bus stop is a bus terminal which serves as a place where buses stop for passengers to get on or off. From there, commuters can get on a bus to practically everywhere in the city. There are also plans by the Lagos State government to ensure commuters get access to the bus stop by train.
How many Berger bus stops are and where are they located?
There are two Berger bus stops in Lagos. One (and probably the most popular of the two) is located at Ojudu Berger along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, while the other is located along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.
ALSO READ: Lagos Floods: History, prone areas and survival tips
The one at Ojudu-Berger leads to cities in Lagos such as Ojudu, Ikeja, Ojota, Ketu and environs, as well as out of Lagos to Ogun and Oyo states. The other bus stop located on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway leads to Lagos Island, as well as Oworonshoki, Ikeja and the environs.
Establishment of the new Berger Bus stop
The new Berger Bus stop was inaugurated by the Akinwunmi Ambode administration on May 16, 2017. The new Berger Bus stop is located within the environs of the existing Ojudu Berger Bus stop.
This important transportation hub and interchange, which is the first major bus stop upon entry into Lagos, comprises a sizable pedestrian bridge, as well as lay-bys, slip lanes and public restrooms among others. The renovated Berger bus station gives the area a contemporary, unified feel and presents a modern appearance, which is apt to welcome visitors to Lagos State.
The large parking spaces at the bus stop enable multiple motorists to drive in to discharge their passengers, rest and move on, instead of disrupting vehicular movement on the road.
How to get anywhere from the Berger bus stop
The movement to the Berger Bus stop depends on which of the two the commuter wants to visit. There is one along the Oshodi-Apapa way and the other at Ojodu Berger.
A commuter can enter a bus to Lagos Island by taking one from Berger (under the bridge), which is close to the location where tokunbo automobiles are sold. Get on any bus coming from Tin Can or Wharf and direct the driver to drop you off at Aswani Market from the same Berger (under the bridge).
If you are travelling from Ogun State, New Berger Park is a few kilometres from Ojota. It serves as a loading and unloading zone for cars. The idea is intended to solve the ongoing delays brought on by drivers who drop off and pick up passengers along the road. To get to Maryland, Oshodi, Ojota, Ikeja, Ogba, Island, Anthony, Obalende, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Onitsha, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode, Ore, etc., one can drive from Berger Park. However, travellers are cautioned to be on the lookout for touts, especially in the evenings.
ALSO READ: Notorious Lagos traffic congestion routes, causes, solutions
However, access to a commuter's destination depends on where a person is going to or from via the Berger Bus stop. Several parks lead to different places. For example, if you are going to Ibadan, the park is different from the park you go to if you are going to Ikeja and Ogba. You have to be careful and ask around so that you do not miss your way and enter the wrong bus because the parks are similar.
Berger Bus stop traffic
Motorists, commuters, and the community of Ojodu Berger, who had yearned for an upgraded, effective, and gridlock-free road network, were thrilled by the government's strategic thinking to revamp the Ojodu Berger Bus stop, by including a pedestrian bridge, slip road and lay off roads.
Before it, there was a bad traffic situation on the axis due to drivers, both commercial and private, chaotically parking their cars so they could pick up and drop off passengers at the bus stop.
Drivers spent more than two hours travelling between 7Up and Berger Bus stop at any time of day, except probably after midnight, which is why they exhaled a sigh of relief and excitement after the project was completed.
But five years later, the bad times are back, particularly at night time after traffic officers have left for the day. This recurring situation is heavily linked to the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Drivers heading out of Lagos report constant traffic gridlock, especially those heading to Move, Ibafo, Magboro, Arepo, and Wawa. When there is traffic on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, commuters' transportation costs are likely to increase by 100 or 200 per cent, and commercial buses always take advantage of this situation. Sometimes this traffic extended to the Lagos State Secretariat and 7up in the Ikeja axis of Lagos.
Also, there seems to be no end to the current predicament that has become a recurrent pattern on the well-known Apapa/Oshodi expressway for many vehicle users. The freeway has turned into an endless agony for drivers over the past few years.
Until recently, the bad road, the carelessness of commercial drivers, and the careless parking of trucks and trailers were held responsible for the traffic situation.
ALSO READ: Agbero: The indelible strand of Lagos transport DNA
Nigeria's Ayra Starr, Burna Boy, Rema feature as Obama reveals his 2022 playlist
Netizens react as single mother throws her man out of the house for refusing to adopt her kids