By Ambrose Ologide, Warri
Commuters have bemoaned the frustrating flow of transportation, mostly at rush hours in the evening, at the popular and ever busy Enerhen Junction, Effurun Uvwie Local Government Area .
It was indeed a pitiable sight as over hundreds of Udu Local Government Area bound passengers were stranded at Enerhen Junction shortly after a heavy downpour in early evening hours of Monday 15th May , 2023 .
The waterlogged area occasioned by flooding did not help matters .
Too many passengers were seen struggling to board few commercial tricycles ( keke ) that were available to their destinations in Udu Local Government Area.
Those who spoke to our correspondent on the issue bitterly complained that it was a nightmare going to their destinations during such hours even when there was no rainfall.
One of the respondent, Jones Akero narrated that at times desperate passengers embarked on a long distance trek of about 4 kilometres upto the delapidated Udu Bridge before boarding keke to their destinations to far away Udu communities such as Aladja, Orhuwhorun , Ujewu , Ubogo among others.
Akero quickly added that trekking beyond the Udu Bridge was not even a guarantee of free traffic flow , as he complained that there was often traffic holdups from after the bridge to Orhuwhorun Roundabout after the popular Jigbale Market , Ovwian.
He also stated that the affluence among Udu Local Government Area bound passengers navigated through the long distance Effurun / Otokutu Express Warri to their destinations.
Madam Alice Overo told our correspondent that there were ferry short cuts at Enerhen Community Waterside in Uvwie Local Government Area to Opete Community in Udu Local Government Area and from Igbudu / Merogun watersides in Warri South Local Government Area to Ovwian Community in Udu Local Government Area.
An Orhuwhorun born Warri public analyst Chief Akpojotor Adjarho who commented on the issue, noted that there was often serious traffic holdups during rush in the morning from after the bridge in Sedeco Area to Enerhen Junction.
He further complained that the problem was often compounded when there was a breakdown of vehicles or rehabilitation on the aging Udu Bridge.
It was also gathered that some frustrated passengers coming to the Warri axis were compelled to hang around restaurants and beer palours in Enerhen Junction area till when there was a free flow of traffic before proceeding on their journeys about 9pm on a daily basis.
All those that spoke appealed to the relevant authorities to do something to solve the age long problem.