Commuters travelling along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway have expressed frustration over severe traffic delays that left many passengers stranded for nearly six hours during the festive period, as heavy rainfall and the poor condition of the road worsened movement along the busy highway.
Many Eyewitnesses described the situation as exhausting and unbearable, saying what is normally a three to four-hour journey from Abuja to Kaduna stretched to seven to eight hours due to bad portions of the road, rainfall, and increased festive traffic.
According to passengers, several vehicles were trapped in long queues as movement slowed to a standstill in some sections of the expressway, leaving travellers stranded for hours without clear information on when traffic would ease.
Some commuters said the delay caused serious discomfort, with many passengers, including women, children, and the elderly, forced to endure harsh weather conditions and extended hours on the road.
A passenger described the experience as frustrating and called for urgent intervention.
“What should normally take just a few hours turned into an all-day journey. People were tired, hungry, and frustrated. The road situation is becoming unbearable, especially during festive periods,” the commuter said.
For many Nigerians, this has become a recurring experience practically every festive season, with major highways across the country witnessing severe gridlocks, poor traffic coordination, and long travel delays.
Observers say the situation also reflects a broader failure of regulation and oversight within Nigeria’s transport management system.
Critics argue that despite the presence of multiple transport unions, traffic agencies, road safety authorities, and government institutions collecting daily revenues, levies, and transport-related fees, effective traffic management and commuter protection remain inadequate.
Many Nigerians have questioned why agencies and unions responsible for regulating transport activities often appear more focused on revenue collection than enforcing order, road safety, and proper coordination during peak travel periods.
Observers also noted that delays in the execution and completion of ongoing construction and rehabilitation work by the company handling the Abuja-Kaduna road project significantly contributed to the heavy gridlock experienced during the festive season.
The concerns extend beyond the Abuja-Kaduna route, with similar traffic chaos witnessed along the Lokoja highway corridor during the Christmas and New Year rush, where thousands of travellers reportedly spent several hours trapped in gridlock.
Many Nigerians have called on contractors handling the Abuja-Kaduna road project to speed up construction work and ensure timely completion of the expressway to ease hardship for road users.
They also urged the federal government to take decisive action by closely monitoring the project and addressing the recurring traffic challenges on the route, particularly during peak travel seasons.
Commuters stressed that the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway remains a critical route connecting major parts of northern Nigeria, noting that its poor state continues to cause delays, economic losses, and unnecessary hardship for travellers.
