By: Bright Olorungbotemi, Osogbo
In busy areas of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, illegal parking, roadside trading and indiscriminate passenger loading are steadily eroding road space.
For commuters in Osogbo suburbs, the promise of wider roads and improved infrastructure is colliding with an old problem: traffic indiscipline.
At Olonkoro, Ayetoro, Igbona, and Ajegunle along the Osogbo-Ikirun road, what should be a short trip can stretch into an hour or more during evening rush hour.
Commercial buses stop on the highway to pick passengers, while indiscriminately parked vehicles and double parking force motorists to make sudden lane changes.
For regular commuter Anthony Alo who spoke with Voice Air Media, “the situation is frustrating because the roads are no longer as constrained as they once were.”
He said motorists heading towards Igbona, Ayetoro and Orisunbare spend more time navigating the stretch during peak periods, arguing that the problem is now about how available road space is used.
Alo called for the construction of bus stops at Old Garage Junction and other locations to separate pedestrian and vehicular movement.
Four years after Governor Ademola Adeleke appointed himself as Commissioner for Works, the administration’s investment in roads has become visible. Major highways have been expanded or rehabilitated and two flyover bridges constructed in Osogbo. While the improved roads have eased movement, roadside trading, illegal parking and pedestrian encroachment are taking back the space.
The irony is difficult to ignore: roads that were expanded are narrowing again.
The problem is worse in the evening when thousands of workers return to the suburbs. Along the Igbona-Ayetoro corridor, traders display goods close to the highway while commercial vehicles pick up passengers at unauthorised spots.
Similar challenges exist around Owode-Ede, especially on market days, and at Station Road, Igbona and Ajegunle near busy junctions.
Residents want stronger enforcement
A spare parts seller, Pelumi Tijani, complained about vehicles parked for hours in front of his shop.
“Vehicle owners from nowhere will just bring their cars and park in front of my office from morning till evening, blocking customers from seeing my goods,” he said.
A POS merchant, Ojo Dolapo, blamed recurring congestion around Igbona and Ajegunle largely on indiscriminate passenger loading.
Beyond commuter frustration, there are safety and economic implications. Illegal parking increases the risk of crashes, while prolonged traffic jams mean lost working hours, higher fuel consumption and additional costs for businesses.
Speaking with Voice Air Media, the Osun State Commissioner for Transportation, Hon. Sesan Oyedele, said if parking spaces are provided, people will stop parking on the roads.
He frowned at car dealers displaying vehicles for sale on the road. “I will send directors to check them in those affected areas,” he said.
On bus stops, he said: “There was a plan for construction of bus stops in Osogbo in the 2025 budget and also in the 2026 budget, but the non-release of local government allocations has affected implementation. The state is short of funds. We pray the issue is resolved before 2027 so we can construct bus stops in the capital city.”
A car dealer who spoke on condition of anonymity acknowledged the challenge, noting that some offenders are not members of the association and that sensitization is needed before enforcement.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Osun has also expressed concern.
The State Corps Commander, Sunday T. Adebayo, told Voice Air Media that traders, commercial operators and car dealers are increasingly occupying spaces meant to improve traffic flow.
“Roadside trading, illegal parking and indiscriminate passenger loading are major contributors to traffic jams and double parking,” he said.
He said the Corps will invite the car dealers association, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and other stakeholders for consultation before enforcement begins.
“We are working with the state government to proffer a lasting solution to roadside trading in the state,” he added.