Lagos State has been synonymous with traffic over the years and the situation is getting worse and unbearable for commuters with increasing stress levels which in turn kills productivity.
The traffic Is caused due to reasons everyone is familiar with, such as the rising population, increase in the number of cars, bad roads, and lack of developed sea-ports in other parts of Nigeria to name a few.
I know of 5 quick ways to beat traffic:
1. DOWNLOAD TRAFFIC APPS:
There are numerous traffic apps for Lagosians to download available on Blackberry and Android devices. Some of these apps include:
- Traffic Radio: This is a community-based application that allows the users to broadcast and receive traffic reports wherever they are at the touch of a button. It enables users to send emergency alerts so other users, plus road safety officials can be notified of accidents and security threats on the road. It also gives location-based announcements made by FRSC Nigeria to warn citizens ahead of any danger on the road. The app is free and available for download on all android devices.
- GidiTraffic:This is a utility service app that brings you closer to traffic/security updates from around the country irrespective of where you are. You get up-to-the-minute reports and live feedback on your enquiries and you can give and receive road traffic info in photographs and in videos.
- Road Peer: Road Peer app is For Blackberry users, this app is an online community-based traffic visualisation and notification app that shows you tweets shared by drivers all over the country in real time. It gathers relevant traffic data and displays it in an interactive and easy to understand format.
- Traffikator: This app enables you receive instant traffic information through a combination of crowdsourcing updates and geo location. Users can connect, chat and tweet through the traffikator app to other users.
2. — USE THE TRAINS
The train is another unpopular means of transportation in Lagos. Some of these do trains work, there are provided for by the previous administration which is quite comfortable and decent.
For people working or coming from the Island who live on the mainland, there is a train station in IDDO. The route for the trains are as follows:
IDDO to OYINGBO to EBUTE METTA to YABA to MUSHIN to OSHODI to SHOGUNLE to IKEJA to AGEGE to IJU to ALAGBADO
The trains are usually fast and take about 1hr 30mins at worst from take-off point to its final destination, which means for the destinations in the middle you can get to where you are going between 30 and 45 mins.
For the new locomotive train, the cost is N750 to any destination, while the old ones will cost you N250. Although you have to be “rugged” to board the old ones.
3. LEAVE HOME EARLY, OR LEAVE WORK LATE IF YOU CAN
Another way to beat Lagos traffic is to leave your home at least 2 hours early. Always keep this in mind or as a rule of thumb. You can also leave work late or hang around in a spot where you can chill from the days stress and wait for the traffic to subside.
By doing this you can get home in less than an hour instead of facing a 3hr traffic that would make you stressful. Although this will require you to do all your ironing, cooking or whatever you always want to do when you get home days or weeks before hand.
4. MAKE — USE OF FERRY SERVICE
For “Lagosian” living in areas like Ikorodu and working on the Island, the need to commute through the mainland down to the Island is uncalled for. The solution to this is to make use of the state owned ferry service which takes you to places like Ajah, CMS etc.
If more of these services are provided for by government, it will ease up the use of the re-occurrence of traffic gridlocks.
5. LEAVE YOUR CAR AND — USE THE BRT
Most Nigerians want to be identified as ‘Car Owners”. They want to be seen driving a car at all times. In most developed countries, a large part of their population commute to work and back through train and ferry services. Unlike in Nigeria, owning a car or cars has got nothing to do with status.