BY KASE GREATNESS
Traders operating along the Asaba-Onitsha Expressway have expressed growing frustration over worsening road conditions and escalating fuel prices, which have severely crippled their ability to transport goods.
Many traders, who depend on the highway for moving products across regions, now find themselves stranded, unable to reach their destinations, and facing increasing financial losses.
They raised serious concerns over the deteriorating condition of the Asaba-Onitsha Expressway, describing the road as nearly impassable due to years of neglect. The once-busy route, now riddled with potholes and plagued by inadequate infrastructure, has left many stranded, facing delays and significant setbacks in their day-to-day operations.
A growing number of transporters have abandoned the road, unwilling to risk the damage their vehicles might sustain from the unmaintained stretches of highway. As a result, the movement of goods has slowed to a crawl, with traders struggling to move their products across the region. Many have been left with no choice but to suspend operations altogether, as the road conditions continue to deteriorate.
In an interview with The Pointer, Mrs Philomena, a trader from Edo State, lamented the toll this crisis has taken on her business. “Before, transporters were always available with their vehicles to take us and our goods to our destinations. But now, not a single vehicle is in sight,” she explained.
“If one does come, they charge outrageous prices because they know we are desperate to get home. We have no choice but to pay, and it’s hurting our businesses terribly.”
She called on the government to urgently address the road conditions and fuel prices, warning that the current situation was unsustainable for traders and would further burden an already fragile economy.
“We cannot keep operating like this. Something must be done, or more of us will be forced out of business,” she added.
