Shuttling between Bonaberi and other parts of Douala across the Wouri Bridge appears to be an experienced reserved for the most patient commuters.

The single road leading across the bridge that has become bumpy, uneven, rough, and with potholes, has also worsened in the past few weeks causing the unprecedented rise in traffic rigidity currently noticed in the city.

Even as the saying goes ‘never despise little beginnings’, potholes at the mouth of the bridge on the Bonaberi side began as little spots but soon opened up into basins with the cessation of maintenance work on that stretch. Those rutted spots today underpin congestion in almost every quarter in Douala where traffic rigidity is becoming unbearable not only at peak traffic hours of the day.

Long queues on the single road across the bridge have caused many traders, office workers, petit traders to get to work late. Commuters in a taxi said the current congestion levels, which has never been experienced in the city before, is unbearable on their daily income.

“Since the onset of summer vacation in July, 2015, I am unable to reach the Mboppi Market in order to start selling before 8 am.” Another passenger corroborated him: “My total sales per day have dropped from over FCFA one million to barely FCFA 400,000 per day because I reach Akwa often after three or four hours above the normal usual time. Traffic jam between Bonaberi and my hardware shop in Akwa causes me to spend more time on the way.

Despite the fact that the Littoral Regional Delegation of National Security has deployed traffic police to most road junctions of recent, the situation has not greatly changed. Some residents have complained of lack of police presence on some major stretches while others blame the police of being at the root cause of worsening traffic jams.