Pedestrians in Lagos who are burdened with heavy luggage are now obligated to pay a N100 fee before they can access the Yaba pedestrian bridge.
A video shared on Instagram by Guardian Nigeria on Wednesday captured incidents where an individual, on two separate occasions, obstructed two women carrying loads from ascending the bridge until they complied with his demand for the N100 levy.
Interestingly, the footage also revealed that other pedestrians without any burdensome items enjoyed unrestricted passage onto the bridge.
The viral video was shared with the caption, “In Yaba, Lagos State, individuals are imposing a fee of N100 on pedestrians carrying loads to use the pedestrian bridge, coinciding with the enforcement of laws against jaywalking in Lagos. Concerned citizens on social media, including X (formerly Twitter), urge the state government to address this issue.”
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However, till now, it has not been confirmed whether the levy applies to other pedestrian bridges across the state, and it remains uncertain whether the state government is aware of or has sanctioned this levy.
Efforts to obtain comments from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s special adviser on media and publicity, Gboyega Akosile, were unsuccessful. Despite attempts to reach him, his phone remained unanswered, and he did not respond to messages at the time this report was filed.
In recent developments, security agencies in the state have been apprehending and prosecuting individuals found sleeping on the bridges, a measure aimed at encouraging pedestrians to utilize the bridges and avoid risking their lives by crossing highways.
(PeoplesGazette)
