The about 1.5 million residents of the 10 estates around the Jakande Roundabout in Lekki, Lagos State, say RMB West Port, owners of Circle Mall, must provide them with alternative routes before it opens its mall on December 17, 2015.
The residents from the 10 estates in the area, with each of them having no fewer than 150 residential buildings, said the routes would enhance effective traffic control.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the management of the outfit should have consulted widely before siting the mall around the Jakande Roundabout.
They said that this was because the traffic on the Lekki-Epe Expressway had always been chaotic, adding that the opening of the mall would attract more human and vehicular traffic to the area.
A resident of Femi Okunnu Estate near the Jakande Roundabout, Mr. John Thomas, said, “We have more than 10 estates in this area. These estates include ─ Femi Okunnu Phases 1 to 4, Victory Park, Friends’ Colony, Milverton, Egerton , Cardogan, Pinnock Arcadia Groove and Northern Foreshore – all with one access road.
“The only access road to these estates is Yaya Dosunmu Way and more than 400,000 vehicles ply the road on a daily basis.”
Thomas lamented that two filling stations located on both sides of the link road to the expressway always caused gridlock whenever there was fuel scarcity.
Another resident, Mr. Idowu Johnson, who resides at Friends’ Colony, said the main entrance and exit to the mall was the road that led to his estate.
“We are not against the mall’s operation because we will also patronise them, but they should also understand our plights and come up with alternative routes so that we will not suffer.
“We are appealing to the government and the management of the mall to look for alternative routes so as to ease traffic for residents of the area and intending customers,’’ he said.
Also, Mrs. Modupola Ajagbe, a resident of Egerton Estate, told NAN that when the residents’ association heard that the mall would be built there, they wrote to its management, but there was no response from it.
Ajagbe said that the association also wrote the state government on the issue, but received a reply after the construction of the mall had started.
She said, “Officials from the Ministries of Transport, and Physical Planning and Urban Development held a meeting with the stakeholders in the estate and representatives of the mall to resolve the matter.
“We are appealing to the state government to compel the management to halt the official opening of the mall until all our demands are met,” she said.
NAN’s efforts to get the management of the Circle Mall to react proved abortive.
One of the mall’s officials said he was not authorised to speak to the press. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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They know that opening up the regional road with Spar road is the solution. I wonder why it was not in their plan in the first place. After all developers of Friends Colony Estate was the one who constructed the adjoining road. Even if the regional road is not tarred let it be opened up to Spar Road
ReplyDeleteLack of planning.
ReplyDeleteThis is a right step in the right right direction from the estates' residents association. The biggest mistake we should not make now is to allow the Shoprite start operation without agreeing to our request of getting alternative road in place. Whatever it takes should be pursued. Bam Bam
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why Lekki-Epe expressway should just be one route. This is a serious issue. A lot of money is been generated at the toll gate daily yet the people are suffering in traffic everyday without complaining. What I am saying in essence is that the mall is not the only problem on this axis. The problem on this axis include excessive round about, lack of town planning and the lack of alternative route. Some of the round about need overhead bridge. I just wonder why people ply that road every day and pay toll gate without complaining. Its pathetic
ReplyDeleteWith all the existing problems associated with the Lekki/ Eze Express Way, it beats my imagination that a Mall as huge as this could be approved for construction in such a place considering the traffic gridlock Jakande Roundabout contributes to the entire traffic situation on that road. Honestly, I blame Lagos State Government who is meant to be protecting the interests of its people/residents. What is the basis for opening another Shoprite in Jakande Roundabout, Lekki when one is at Oniru? Why will the government sacrifice the comfort of the generality of the people especially residents of estates around the Circle Mall for pleasing the owner/owners of the mall? Who owns the Circle Mall that the government couldn't refuse the approval for its construction? I implore the PMB to personally look into this issue. I have no confidence that Lagos State government will do anything meaningful on the issue because it' s the cause of all this problem. One person' s business has come to jeopardise the peace of millions of people. The value of houses/properties around the Circle Mall will also drop because of the traffic the opening of the Mall will cause.
ReplyDeleteWhat security measures do the owner of the Mall and the government have in place for the long span of that road i.e, Mobil Filling Station down to Pinnock Estate and other routes being considered?
THE MALL SHOULD NOT BE OPENED UNTIL NECESSARY MEASURES ARE TAKEN TO TACKLE THE SUFFERING THAT THE OPENING OF THE MALL WILL CAUSE OTHER PEOPLE.
IT WAS DONE FOR DEEPER LIFE IN GBAGADA, LAGOS. THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN EXCEPTION NO MATTER WHO OWNS THE MALL. JUSTICE AND EQUITY MUST PREVAIL!