Overcoming traffic congestion is sometimes a hell of a struggle that any Nigerian is constantly faced with in their daily search for bread and sustenance. The standard cost of this phenomenon in the general human life of an average Nigerian is quite larger than what it should if the situation were saner.
Traffic congestion, as the one in Lagos, has become a common sight in most urban cities of Nigeria. Since people from different rural communities tend to storm the urban city of Lagos for survival because of its booming economy, making it one of the most populous in the country, serious attempts to solve Lagos’ myriad infrastructural problems, terrible flooding and political wrangling has become a mirage that is forever chased.
Lagos, the former federal capital of Nigeria, is arguably Africa’s most vibrant, creative and dynamic city. It is a centre not only of commerce and the country’s burgeoning high-tech industry but also of its creative industries, including music, fashion and the Nollywood film industry – all of which have exposed her to the challenge of population growth, thereby exacerbating the conditions of mobility within the state.
Other Causes of Traffic Congestion in Lagos
The grievous and mind-numbing results of traffic congestion show that there are more to what constitute the causes of the problem. The following list therefore are discovered:
- Poor driving habits
- Poor road network
- Inadequate road capacity
- Lack of parking facilities
Since getting stuck in a jam of undissolved traffic for hours of delay could warp one’s mental health or even at worst numb the mind of any rational being stuck in an irrational situation such as this, emphasis on what to do or how to beat this whole conundrum turns out to be pertinent. The decision not to find workable solutions is capable of opening up the Pandora Box for more severity.
Fastest Ways to Overcoming Traffic Congestion in Lagos
Against the suggested negative possibility therefore, we have gathered here what you can do to overcome or beat the unbearable and frustrating Lagos traffic every day:
a. Always Listen to Traffic Report
Listening regularly to daily reports about the current situation of traffic in the major roads of the city of Lagos is the first approach any informed mind would take towards overcoming traffic congestion. There are early morning as well as midday broadcast that can be scooped from different radio stations. Take time to listen to one.
b. Resource your Movement Using GoogleMaps
This is another brilliant way to obtain information about the points of congestion in the state. Google Maps help you decide which route to thread and not to thread, which one o avoid and not to, so as to enhance free mobility. Always visit it.
c. Be Time Conscious
It is a good idea to wake up early if you must beat the frustrating possibility of traffic congestion on Lagos roads. In the early periods of the morning, cars and any other types of vehicles are scarcely found flooding the road; this is because many drivers are still sleeping on their beds or just preparing to leave the house. So this gives you a chance to overcome the strange result of jam.
d. Seize the Bicycle, Motorcycle or Power Bike Option
You may also use the motorcycle or better still order the services of transport agencies with power bikes, for these are capable of wriggling their way through any gridlock because of their size.
If you have bicycle, though it is going to be strenuous, it is another good idea to sail through the phenomenon of congestion in the city of Lagos.
e. Use the Uber Boats
Being a city full of water, taking the sea sounds quite good, although taking this means may somehow cost an arm and a leg. This means, by arrangement, it is not meant for the general populace, only those that are financially buoyant.
If you have interest, you may reach out to Uber.
f. Take the Bus Rapid Transit
The BRT is one of the surest ways of brutally fighting against the menace of traffic congestion in Lagos. By fighting, I mean overcoming or beating it to generate speed for yourself.
This distinctiveness is very much due to the fact that BRT has its own lines/roads which, by law, is not designed for other commercial vehicles.
Barely, traffic jam does occur.
g. Choose Sundays
For those who are independent enough to decide when to go or not to go out, Sundays seem to be the freest when Lagos traffic is as easy as anything. So deciding to go out on Sunday is a very intelligent decision.
h. Propose a Work-from-Home Idea to your Boss
To avoid spending so much and considering the stress that often comes with the extortionate expense on daily basis, one may be tempted in an absolutely polite manner to ask for what one considers feasible if only it could be granted by the employer. Since the official tasks and responsibilities are doable or even achievable online in the comfort of one’s home, why can’t one propose a Work-from-Home Idea for consideration and see whether it could granted?
Everything starts with asking for it anyways!
