Lekki residents rejected resumption of tollgate

Residents of the Lekki area of the Lagos metropolis, under aegis of Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA), have called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to halt the proposed resumption of toll collection on the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge.

The Lekki Concession Company (LCC) had announced that the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge Toll Plaza will resume today, 18 months after it was suspended.

The call was made to the governor in a letter titled “Position of Lekki Residents on the planned Re-introduction of Tolling”. In the letter, LERSA questioned why tolling should resume on the 1.5km bridge in view of the harsh economic situation in the country.

Signed by the President and General Secretary of the association, Olorogun James Emadoye and Mr. Gbemi Adelekan, respectively, the letter stated that the resumption of tolling will impose great financial hardship on users of the bridge.

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“Your excellency, graciously permit us to exemplify our fears as follows:  For a couple living off Freedom Way, Lekki 1, husband working in Obalende and wife working on Osborne Road, Ikoyi. Husband with SUV at N400 per trip (return) at day 30 days a month totals N24,000. Wife with a Toyota Corolla at N250 per trip (return) at day 30 days a month totals N15,000. Family annual budget for tolling is N468,000.  We believe this is extremely unfair to us in Lekki.

“We are aware that other infrastructures in other parts of the state were also funded through borrowing. We, therefore, do not understand why Lekki people must be the people to pay construction debts through tolling.  We, therefore, implore the state government to reconsider the decision to reopen tolling.

“We pray that the government will have a rethink on this matter and listen to the yearnings of residents and road users to rescind the toll payment that LCC is planning to perpetuate on peaceful, long-suffering taxpayers of this axis. We are also calling for an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting to provide the opportunity for a proper re-evaluation of this matter,” LERSA said.