Lagos, a megacity besieged by traffic

In most cities across the world, urban problems like congestion and crime are commonplace. Lagos is no different in this regard; what is generating concern is its ever-worsening traffic situation, write OBINNA EMELIKE and FRANCIS JAKPOR.

As he inches his car forward in the snail-paced Lagos/Badagry Expressway traffic, Philip Akpovire, 33, can barely contain his frustration. His air-conditioner is faulty, so he is unable to wind down his window against the fumes disgorged by a nearby petrol tanker. Sweat courses down his face as he swerves rightwards to avoid a commercial motorcyclist bearing down on his vehicle. He glances at his wristwatch, notices that it is getting on for 8: 30 am and weighs the possibility of reaching his Ogba office before 9:30. The previous day, he got a query from his boss for lateness, with a stern reprimand that he would be sanctioned should the practice repeat itself.

Some paces away, Francis Okoro, a journalist, is a having a shouting match with a burly conductor. He has been denied a refund with which he aims to ‘bike’ his way to Mile 2. He got on the bus at Okokomaiko earlier, but decided to alight when he noticed the heavy traffic would narrow down his chances of meeting an official appointment on Victoria Island. Before long, the argument intensifies. Harried passengers and passersby amuse themselves with the spectacle. But at the end of the day, Francis only gets half his fare back, with a slew of early-morning insults to boot.

The Lagos/Badagry Expressway is a popular stretch that runs from Eric Moore to Seme and other ECOWAS countries. The route is a ‘must’ for commuters residing in Ojo Local Government Area and its environs and by extension, Agbara-Badagry - because it links them to Mile 2, Orile/Iganmu, Apapa and other major areas in Lagos. The Raji Fashola-led administration has unveiled an ambitious plan to convert the expressway into 10 lanes which will include a railway system. Already, work has begun in earnest between the Eric Moore and Mile 2 stretch of the road, but residents insist things will probably get worse before they get better because the project is still a long way from completion. The bad state of the road does not help matters. Potholes and deep craters can be seen at such bus stops as Okokomaiko, Volks, Abule Ado, Agboju and Maza-Maza. When it rains, the situation gets much worse as motorists, in a bid to avoid potholes buried in water, move at a snail’s pace and cause huge traffic build-ups.

Elsewhere in the metropolis, Joachim Usim, a banker, mentally beats himself up for his predicament. He has been locked in traffic at the Coconut end of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway for 40 minutes, thanks to a late start that is a departure from his 5:30 am wake-up call.

The situation is no different for Ademola Salako, an IT consultant with UBA plc, who makes a date with 4:30 am just to bypass the annoying Ikotun traffic. He says what is even more disturbing is that once one gets to the much-touted spot, nothing seriously bad can be noticed; only policemen flagging down commercial vehicles for their usual N20 tips.

“I was annoyed when on getting to Jakande Junction one Wednesday evening, I noticed the police conducting a stop-and-search operation. That was the cause of the gridlock that backed up hundreds of cars from far Iyana Ejigbo Junction to Jakande Junction. They seemed careless about how commuters feel after collecting their N20,” says the infuriated Salako. While complaining, he narrowly misses colliding with a car which is driving against traffic.

Meanwhile, many have lost juicy contracts, appointments and interviews to the notorious Lagos traffic jams. Besides being caused by bad roads and the shady practices of law enforcement agencies, most of the gridlocks have been traced to the impatience and lawlessness of commuters, both private and commercial. Some make illegal U-turns or abrupt stops and overtake other vehicles without giving appropriate traffic signals.

Today, commercial motorcycles (popularly known as ‘Okada’) have been restricted to some areas on Lagos Island, and the situation seems bleak for those who hitherto hopped on them to beat the winding traffic from Akpongbon to Marina which continues in the Bonny Camp area. The story is the same from Ozumba Mbadiwe to the Lekki Concession area where epileptic traffic lights make snarls that much worse. Even highbrow Ikoyi/ Dolphin Estate where the elite make their home is not exempt from this scourge which has made life in Lagos hellish.

Jude Omobude, a statistician with the Federal Ministry of Planning, observes that the situation does not necessarily have to be so bad if all hands are on deck: “We are lucky the situation is more with us here in Lagos. If it were in Abuja, lots of civil servants would work half day and still collect full salaries. But here, most businesses and private enterprises would not tolerate that practice as many out there are waiting to take over from those sacked from their jobs.”

Though he cannot estimate how much the situation impacts on the productivity of workers, Madu Emesi, a physician, says the health implications are enormous, which is why untimely deaths are on the increase. “Have you considered the impact of blaring horns on the ear drum, the hazardous fumes from car exhaust pipes, the effect of sitting too long on a spot?” he queries.  “Just visit the hospitals and see for yourself.”

Though traffic congestion is a problem that most major cities across the world like New York, Tokyo, London and Bangkok contend with, the Lagos traffic situation has continued to confound successive governments in the state.

It would be recalled that in the early 70s, the administration of Brigadier-General Mobolaji Johnson (rtd) and General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) upgraded Carter Bridge to address the ever- increasing gridlocks from the Mainland to Lagos Island. The administration also built the Eko Bridge linking Surulere to Lagos Island, Agege Motor Road, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Badagry Expressway; while it flagged off the construction of the Third Mainland Bridge. Despite these measures, however, the menace is yet to be fully contained. Not even the present administration has been spared the trauma of daily snarls on major roads.

“If Lagos roads were human, they would be tired of complaining because motorists here seem to know the traffic laws but refuse to obey them,” says Olagunji Onitiri, a field officer with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA). “They will not stop for automated traffic light if nobody watches, they will get a police traffic warder angry by their impatience, and will claim all sorts of things when the law is not in their favour.”

Like Kayode Opeifa, special adviser to the Lagos State governor on transport once disclosed, the situation is not beyond what the state authorities can handle.  “When the Lagos traffic moves, the economy and even the citizens will move, return on investments would soar, prosperity will be sustained and sustainable development assured,” he said.

For residents of Lagos, this is indeed the worst of times as they habitually spend the greater part of their day on congested roads. The state government has got many accolades for its efforts at road reconstructions and repairs, but concerned commuters maintain that the road to smooth traffic remains a long one.

OBINNA EMELIKE and FRANCIS JAKPOR


Business Day