There were severe traffic jams in Lagos on Monday as motorists rushed to filling stations and formed long queues outside the forecourts. The cause of the rush was due to concerns of an imminent shortage of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
The Ikorodu Road axis experienced significant traffic gridlock with long queues at filling stations, while the Total Filling station at Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way also experienced heavy queues leading to congestion around the Ikeja axis. Many filling stations along the Ikeja axis, particularly along Obafemi Awolowo Road, were closed. The situation led some motorists to hike their fares, reflecting the challenges faced by commercial transport operators.
The filling stations along Ogunnusi Road inbound Berger reportedly did not dispense petrol to customers. The cause of the sudden resurgence of fuel queues in Lagos remains unclear. However, reports suggest that the queues were prominent in major filling stations known for selling at lower rates. Filling stations owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway were also reported not to be dispensing fuel.
The National Vice Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, acknowledged the queues in some filling stations in Lagos. However, he suggested that the queues might be a result of panic-buying among customers. He said, “I am not in Lagos as we speak. But I heard about it too that there are queues in Lagos. It may just be panic buying. I am not sure there is fuel scarcity. People are just panicking. However, I will find out what the problem is.”