Motorists plying the ever-busy Onitsha-Owerri Road in Anambra State have decried incessant harassment and imposition of “unjustifiable” fines by officials of the Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency, especially at the bad portions of the road near the People’s Club Bus Stop.
Some of the motorists, who spoke to our correspondent in separate interviews on Saturday, alleged that ARTMA officials were using the deplorable condition of the road to extort various amounts of money, ranging from ₦150,000 to ₦300,000, from private motorists, taxi and commercial bus drivers plying the highway to the popular Upper Iweka end of the road.
The drivers lamented that the deep and dangerous potholes on the road, particularly near the People’s Club Bus Stop, were forcing them to drive in the opposite lane, thereby subjecting them to heavy fines and alleged extortion by traffic officials, a situation they described as a “double tragedy”.
Our correspondent, who was at the scene, observed that motorists travelling from the Obosi end of the Onitsha-Owerri Road towards Upper Iweka diverted near the People’s Club, where they connected to the opposite lane in order to continue their journey.
It was also observed that many drivers heading towards Upper Iweka had to divert to the opposite lane when they reached the People’s Club axis to avoid the deep potholes, which had made driving almost impossible along that stretch.
