Gridlock: Travellers stranded for hours on Kaduna-Abuja highway
Many travellers were stranded for hours on Monday at Gidan Busa, just before Katari, on the Kaduna-Abuja highway, following multiple accidents involving long vehicles. The gridlock, which stretched beyond the point where the eye could follow it and faded into the haze, left motorists, passengers and goods stranded under the sun, with many missing appointments […]
On Monday, travellers faced hours-long delays on the Kaduna-Abuja highway at Gidan Busa, just before Katari, due to multiple accidents involving long vehicles. The gridlock stretched far and seemed to blend into the haze, leaving motorists, passengers, and goods stranded under the sun and missing appointments or deliveries. Sarah Monday, a fashion designer, missed a contract meeting in Abuja because of the standstill.
She pleaded with the Federal Government to complete the highway soon to ease the hardship on users during religious and festive periods.
The road had transformed from a route to a waiting area, with cattle trucks, lorries, and fuel tankers packed tightly together. Passengers even climbed atop the cargo, while some men sat atop cattle frames, watching the endless line pass by. Behind the trucks, cattle stood in the heat, and along the unfinished diversion road, men traded guesses about when the line might move.
Abubakar Lawal, a driver, blamed the gridlock on motorists' impatience, stating that nobody knew when the road would clear. Yusuf Aliyu, another driver, said he would have avoided the trip to Abuja if he had known the highway would be in such a state. For those whose livelihoods depend on the road, the delays resulted in delayed deliveries, missed appointments, and tired travelers, as well as animals and perishables waiting in the open.
Adewale Usman, a businessman, called for the introduction of railways to reduce the burden on highways. He blamed long vehicles for contributing to the situation and appealed for the Federal Government to address the issue. A road safety official noted that accidents involving long vehicles occur on the route every month, causing fatalities and affecting animals.
The official acknowledged that the gridlock could have been avoided with patience but pointed out that a single crash can cause hours of delay, especially where roadworks have forced vehicles onto narrow diversions.
As of the report's time, many motorists began turning back towards Kaduna, opting to travel through the Kachia-Bwari road instead. For those who remained, the wait continued under the sun, with an uncertain end to their ordeal. The drivers and businessman emphasized the need to complete the highway, ease the burden on users, and ensure that a journey to Abuja doesn't end at Gidan Busa.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Trust's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
